


Sleepless in Atlanta

by BrokenBones (Hikarinimichitasora)



Series: Crossover/Fusion Challenge [3]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other pairings before OTP, Sleepless in Seattle Fusion, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-17
Updated: 2014-02-18
Packaged: 2018-01-12 20:28:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1199073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hikarinimichitasora/pseuds/BrokenBones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if someone you never met, someone you never saw, someone you never knew was the only someone for you?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Call

_Your mom isn't going to be around anymore. It's just something that happened. There's nothing we can do. If we start asking why, we'll go crazy, so here's rule number one, babydoll. We're not going to ask why._

 

**Summer of 1992 - San Francisco**

 

"Aw c'mon Carol! Why not? Why why why why why why why?" Jim sang as he put the box down in the kitchen. Carol rolled her eyes and began to unpack the groceries.

 

"I don't need to answer this question," she replied, putting pasta in the cupboard and frowning when Jim opened it again immediately afterwards to put a tin of tomatoes inside. "Those don't go there." She removed them and bent to put them in another cupboard, in their proper place.

 

"It's my first rule though! I've got to know why!" Jim said, grabbing some bananas and putting them in the fruit bowl, though he did pause for a moment to admire the way Carol straightened.

 

"We were never going to end up that way," Carol's voice had a touch of exasperation in it. Jim chuckled to hide the hurt that flared through him.

 

"You mean there's someone else?" he asked in mock-shock. He clutched his heart and Carol raised a carton of juice like she was going to throw it at him. He hoped she was going to say no.

 

"You are insufferable," she replied. Jim smiled to hide the way his heart felt about to burst.

 

"I see... So I just come second place to your high-flying career, is that it?" he asked. Carol did throw the carton that time, but Jim caught it, spinning and putting it in the fridge without missing a beat. Carol didn't seem to know whether to be impressed or not.

 

"Like you're one to talk," she pointed out. Jim swallowed and wondered if it was worth trying to justify himself to her one more time.

 

"I love my job," he agreed, grabbing an apple and taking a bite out of it. Carol raised an eyebrow.

 

"Well, that's good I guess. It's about time you settled into being a grown up."

 

**Summer of 1992 - San Francisco**

 

"I got yeh all the stuff yeh'll need to make sandwiches," Scotty said, patting the breadbin affectionately. Beside him Sulu cleared his throat and gestured to Leonard, who was sat there at the breakfast counter, unseeing. Scotty tried to wipe the pity from his face.

 

"Put a load of homemade stuff from Hikaru's sister in your freezer too. You can just microwave it straight up," Scotty said, trying to put on some cheer. Leonard still didn't react.

 

"You with us McCoy?" Sulu asked. Leonard looked up at them both.

 

"Food. You've brought food."

 

**Summer of 1992 - San Francisco**

 

"And don't forget to take your goddamn microwave with you! That thing is infested!" Carol yelled. Jim stared at the microwave and then sighed, unplugging it and shoving it into a box. He should have known that he was going to have to take it with him.

 

Carol had called it. She couldn't bear him any longer. He was going to have to move out. He'd pestered about marriage just one time too many and she just wasn't ready for it. It was over between them. There was nothing more left to discuss.

 

"Want me to take the fridge too?" Jim snapped. Carol appeared in the doorway, her blue eyes flashing with anger.

 

"So you're angry, huh? Big deal."

 

**Summer of 1992 - San Francisco**

 

"You, er, you thought about getting some counselling?" M'Benga asked, his eyes kind and gentle as he leaned his hip against Leonard's desk. Leonard looked over at him, wondering if he should feel annoyed that all anyone wanted to talk to him about was _this_.

 

"Which one is it you're recommending? Hypnotherapy? Support group? Parents without partners? She ran off with another guy, she didn't _die_ ," Leonard snapped. "Perhaps I should just do everyone a favour and go get repeatedly drunk in a bar. That's the thing divorcees do, right?"

 

He realised that everyone had gone quiet around him, nurses glancing over at him. M'Benga had a sympathetic look on his face that made Leonard want to gouge out his eyes with a sharpened pencil.

 

"Perhaps this isn't the best place to talk about it," he said, rubbing his eyes and looking up at M'Benga. "But really, I think I need to get away."

 

"Good idea. Take a vacation-" M'Benga agreed but Leonard shook his head, wondering if he really had the balls to do what he was about to suggest.

 

"No, I mean somewhere completely new. Leave this small town and head to a big city, get a new pace of life, a new set of people. Somewhere where the memories of Jocelyn aren't on every corner," he explained. M'Benga made a noise.

 

"I'll miss you if you go, man, but do what you gotta do. Where're you thinking?"

 

"I was thinking of heading back to Georgia. Atlanta you know..."

 

**Summer of 1992 - San Francisco**

 

"It would seem that yourself and Carol Marcus were not an advantageous match," Spock said, his face completely impassive. Jim looked at him over the rim of his glass of scotch with a 'no shit' expression.

 

"It is strange. You were not badly matched. Your goals seemed almost perfectly aligned. I can only assume that there was something psychologically mismatched between the two of you that made the idea of a long-term relationship abhorrent to her," Spock continued. Jim could always count on Spock to make things sound worse than they were.

 

"I do not think you were in the wrong, though, Jim. I think you, for once, acted appropriately," Spock cut Jim off before he managed to get out his sarcastic response. Jim smiled and looked down at the ice in his nearly empty tumbler.

 

"I have heard that some people... require counselling when relationships end this explosively," Spock continued. Jim snorted.

 

"If I start therapy, I'll never finish it. Nah, I'm not going to see a shrink. Don't need them to tell me that I have daddy-issues," he said, shrugging. Spock nodded.

 

"Then perhaps visit your mother?" he suggested. Jim took another sip of his scotch.

 

"Go back to Riverside?" Jim questioned. He thought about it for a moment. "Sure, why not? Can't be worse than staying here."

 

**Late Summer of 1992 - San Francisco**

 

The airport was massively busy, people pushing past each other to get to their flights, trollies being pushed dangerously close to the back of McCoy's legs. A blond man accompanied by a tall dark haired man accidentally bumped into Sulu before apologising to him and ducking through the security gate.

 

"Dad says I'll get used to it..." Joanna was saying to Scotty, her voice low and conspiritorial. Leonard pretended he couldn't hear her as Sulu lectured him from his right.

 

"You'll meet someone else soon, dude. I mean, there's loads of women in Atlanta," he said, smiling cheerfully. Leonard sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

 

"I don't think I'm gonna trust anyone for a while, Hikaru. Honestly, I don't think I've got it in me to try datin' again. After Jocelyn, I think the fairer sex is ruined for me," he said. Sulu quirked an eyebrow.

 

"Look, man, I don't think it's just that easy but-"

 

"Just save it Hikaru. I'm goddamn tired and I don't rightly know what I'm saying."

 

"Look after yourself, McCoy. And hey, if you can't trust women, well, maybe try men for a bit?"

 

**Late Summer of 1992 - San Francisco**

 

"Jim this is most irregular. You do not have a return ticket," Spock said, holding out the ticket Jim had given him while he put on his coat. Jim nodded.

 

"I don't plan on returning any time soon, that's why," he said. Spock raised his eyebrow in an expression that clearly demanded Jim explain.

 

"Look, I just need to get away from it all. Sow my oats in new fields and that jazz. And maybe I'll find someone who's like, banging hot and wouldn't mind settling down with someone who is more than a little bit career-minded and reckless too?" he said, shrugging. Spock stared at him for a long time.

 

"You are chasing what I believe is known as a 'unicorn' Jim," Spock said. Jim tilted his head to the side.

 

"A unicorn?" he repeated.

 

"A fictitious creature that does not exist," Spock replied. "I am not saying that you should compromise, but you should probably accept that you there are always compromises in love."

 

"Ah yes. Mr Spock, love expert comes to the fore again," Jim replied sarcastically. He patted his pockets to make sure he had his wallet and plucked the plane tickets from Spock's fingertips.

 

"You are too romantic, Jim," Spock said. "Not all love affairs must be passionate and whirlwind."

 

"Yeah well, being in love is hard enough. I'm not going to stay with someone that I'm settling for," Jim said. The last call for his plane went out and Jim clapped Spock on the shoulder.

 

"I'm off. See you in a few months. It's going to be good for me, Spock, you'll see. Next time you see me, I'm going to be so incredibly happy you won't know what to do with me."

 

\--

 

_I'm your dad, kiddo. Don't ever forget that. I'm here for you. I love you. That's rule number two. You and me are gonna stick together._

 

**Late Summer of 1992 - A Plane**

 

Jim ordered another scotch, staring out at the runway and watching as another plane took to the sky before his own. The scotch was put in front of him by an attractive air hostess. He took it and put it on the tray before him.

 

"I guess it's just us," he said to the glass before tilting it back and swallowing it in one, long mouthful.

 

**Christmas Eve Day of 1993 - Riverside, Iowa**

 

Jim juggled another set of presents, trying not to drop any of them. Janice smiled at him as she pointed out another cute thing in the window as they walked past. Jim wasn't sure his wallet could take much more.

 

"So let me get this straight? Your brother is Sam..." Janice began. Jim nodded.

 

"And he's married to...?" he prompted. Janice grinned.

 

"Aurelan, who's an amazing woman who I have to get on side immediately," she said promptly. Jim chuckled.

 

"Absolutely. Win the wife, win the brother. And then there's Uncle Frank-"

 

"-who I don't talk to about anything important and just agree with whatever he says because he's a rotten drunk," Janice recited. They reached the parking lot and Jim began to load the presents into the back of his car. Janice looked at him before leaning forward to peck him on the cheek.

 

"To say you don't even like your family, you're sure worried about this," she said. Jim shrugged.

 

"I just have had enough shit from them before to not want you to get it too," he said, shrugging. Janice patted his cheek before going to her own car.

 

"I'll follow?" she suggested. Jim nodded and got into his silver BMW. He waited until Janice had adjusted her hair and make-up before he pulled out, turning on the radio.

 

**Christmas Eve Night of 1993 - Riverside, Iowa**

"Your mother is Winona," Janice was going through the names again on their way up to the front door. "Your father was George, but I'm not to mention him unless someone brings him up first... You know, I get the feeling I'm not what they expect you to bring home..."

 

Jim paused for a moment, putting his hands on Janice's shoulders and looking into her eyes. Janice was... comfortable. Homely. Beautiful, in a strong-featured kind of way. She was the opposite of everything he usually went for and he could say for sure that she wouldn't be what his mother expected him to bring home. But that didn't mean that she wasn't good. Janice Rand was a good woman, and she'd been good for Jim.

 

"They're going to love you," he said firmly. Janice's face lit up with a bright smile and she pecked him on the lips.

 

**Christmas Eve Night of 1993 - Riverside, Iowa**

 

"I have an announcement," Jim said, getting to his feet. Behind him the Christmas tree twinkled, the lights shining brightly over the lounge and the dog tucked up under it's branches. His family gathered around the table looked at him. Frank's eyes bleary from drink already, Sam's sharp and all-too-knowing.

 

"Janice and I are getting married," he said, reaching down to take Janice's hand. His mother was immediately on her feet, swooping down to kiss Janice. Aurelan smiled and politely waited.

 

"So let's see the ring," Sam said. Jim rubbed the back of his neck.

 

"We haven't got one. Not yet," he explained. Janice's smile became a little fixed at that.

 

"Not really an engagement then, not yet, Jimmy," Sam replied, his lips quirking up into a smirk. Jim glared at him.

 

"Well, we consider ourselves engaged and we don't care what you have to say about it," Jim replied. Winona looked between her two sons before clapping her hands together.

 

"Oh yeah! I forgot! I got you a present! I thought I'd save it until we were with your family," Janice said, reaching down into her handbag and withdrawing a small package. "It's just something small really."

 

Jim unwrapped it, smiling at her, before he saw it was just aftershave. Generic, men's cologne. Nothing particularly special at all. He still gave himself a few obligatory squirts before leaning in to kiss her cheek.

 

"Thanks," he said, putting the bottle in his pocket.

 

"It's what you were wearing when we met!" Janice said brightly. Winona looked like she was going to get teary eyed any moment so Jim didn't bother to correct Janice. He had never owned this particular brand. He'd been wearing Yves Saint Laurent when they'd met anyway.

 

They continued to eat and drink, discussing when they might hold the ceremony, and where, when all of a sudden Jim sneezed. He could feel his lips and nostrils starting to feel itchy. He glanced down at his wrists where he'd put the cologne and saw that they had become red and inflamed. Shit.

 

Jim looked up to see that his mother was watching him. She had clearly seen and she just smiled warmly and then stood up.

 

"Jim, why don't you come upstairs with me a moment? It won't take long," she said. Jim got to his feet and ignored Janice's questioning glance to follow his mother. She steered him towards the attic and only once they were sat amongst the dust sheets and boxes did she speak again.

 

"She's a lovely girl, Jim," his mother said before turning and beginning to rummage through the desk drawer behind her.

 

"Very reliable. Dependable," Jim replied, not sure why he was having such trouble recalling Janice's best qualities all of a sudden.

 

"Her family nice?" Winona asked. Jim smiled.

 

"They seem to like me well-enough. Heading over there after dinner actually. They live in Davenport," Jim said, shrugging. His mother nodded and then seemed to find whatever she was looking for. She turned and Jim couldn't see what she had in her hand.

 

"How'd you two meet then?" she asked. Jim didn't really want to tell the story. It sounded boring, though he guessed that it was how most people met their intended others.

 

"She... well. She's my secretary, mom," Jim said, shrugging a little. "And we knew each other, obviously, but we never really gave each other a chance to get to know each other. And then... well... I don't know. One thing led to another and I asked her out..."

 

"That's lovely," Winona said and Jim as almost sure that she was being sarcastic.

 

"Sometimes you've just gotta stick with something dependable," Jim said, realising it was more to convince himself than his mother. "I've had enough of chasing chance meetings and sleeping around. One day I'll wake up and find I've got a son somewhere or something and everything will come crashing down. No, Janice is respectable and a good woman. I could do worse."

 

"Never thought I'd hear you say something like that. Always thought you were going to... what was it again...? 'Make Fate your bitch'?" Winona said, chuckling. Jim shook his head.

 

"I'm done Mom. Everything is just a series of terrible coincidences that line up to screw me over. I've finally found a good thing that I don't have to hold onto with both hands gripping tight. I'm just going to go for it," Jim said. Winona tucked her hair behind her ear.

 

"So instead of just taking things as they come, you're trying to steer the course of events?" Winona asked. Jim scowled at her.

 

"Don't twist it like that," Jim said. Winona laughed and held out her hand. When she uncurled her fingers, Jim saw that she was holding car keys. Keys to his father's Stingray downstairs.

 

"Mom-" He began but Winona grabbed his hand and forced the keys into them.

 

"No, James. I want you to take it. You'll look after it better than Frank and besides, when it comes down to it... I don't want you to settle in life. Perhaps this is one way to remind you that there are still stars to reach for," she said. Jim looked down at the keys.

 

"Your father and I met when he was driving that thing. He caught my eye and damn near ran over some school kids as he drove past. A few minutes later he drove past again and got out, convinced me to meet him by the quarries after dark. We sat on the bonnet of that Stingray, and well, you don't want to hear the rest if you're ever going to drive her, but needless to say I didn't see the stars much that night," Winona said with a smirk as Jim pulled a face.

 

"Thanks Mom. Thanks," he said sarcastically. Winona laughed.

 

"And that night, I knew," she continued, giving a happy sigh. Jim frowned.

 

"Knew what?" he pressed. Winona raised an eyebrow.

 

"I just _knew_. You know... _knew_ ," she said. Jim shook his head. "There was... adventure and starlight and _magic_ I guess, though George would have argued it was _science_. It was perfect."

 

"Alright, woman, enough with the stories. I want to get Dad's car out of the garage and watch Sam's face turn green with envy when I drive it home," Jim said, heading back towards the trap door they'd come out of. His mother chuckled, though her eyes looked rather sad.

 

**Christmas Eve Night of 1993 - Riverside, Iowa To Davenport, Iowa**

 

"I told you everyone would love you," Jim said, putting his arm around Janice's waist as he escorted her down the steps. Janice look up at him, smiling.

 

"I love you," she said.

 

"I love you too," the words were said automatically, without much feeling behind them. Janice didn't seem to notice. "You sure you're going to be okay driving alone up to Illinois?"

 

Janice rolled her eyes. "I'm a big girl, James Kirk. I'll manage by myself."

 

She got down to her car and unlocked it. She blew him a kiss before she got inside. Jim looked at the car keys in his hand. He hadn't told Janice about the new car, hadn't thought of a way to bring it up.

 

But an hour to Illinois was enough time to think of something to say about it. He waited until she'd pulled out before he went into the garage to pull off the dust sheet. He ran a hand over the smooth red paint and then slid into the driver's seat.

 

After turning the key in the ignition, the engine purred to life and the radio turned on. It wasn't a station Jim would have normally listened to, but he didn't adjust the dial. He pulled out of the garage and onto the road.

 

**_"Welcome back to "You and Your Emotions." I'm Dr.  Marcia Fieldstone broadcasting across America from the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago where we would have a fantastic view of Santa Claus and his reindeer if there was a -- oops, nevermind.  Tonight we're talking about wishes and dreams. What's your wishes this Christmas Eve? Maybe the best present you can give yourself is a call to me.  The number is --"_ **

 

Jim groaned and turned to another station. He did not want to hear about a load of pathetic people talking about their Christmas wishes if he could help it.

 

**_"The subject of the evening's medical update is You and Your Spleen and our host --"_ **

 

"Nope," Jim said, switching the dial back.

 

**_"Our caller is from Atlanta."_ **

 

Jim continued to turn it backwards.

 

**_"Coming up! Jingle Bells sung backwards --"_ **

 

Jim put his head momentarily onto the steering wheel before choosing the lesser of all the evils and switching back onto the terrible late night talk show.

 

**_"Hello. This is Joanna-"_ **

 

There was an ear-shattering beep that made Jim wince as he reached to turn it down. No sooner had he taken the hand off the wheel though, had the beep ended.

 

**_"No last names, Joanna.  Hello there, you sound younger than our usual callers.  How come you're up so late?"_ **

 

**_"_** ** _It's not that late in Atlanta,"_** Joanna said. Jim chuckled, doing the mental maths himself.

 

"Oh yes it is," he said, at the same time as the radio host.

 

**_"I'm pretty sure it is. Oh well, what's your Christmas wish young lady?"_** The host's voice sounded amused. Jim tapped his fingers against the steering wheel.

 

**_"It's not for me. It's for my dad. I think he needs a new wife... Or whatever they call a boy-wife for another boy,"_** Joanna said. Jim choked on his spit a little as he stared at the radio before realising that no one would see his incredulity. Some guy just got outed as bisexual on the radio then.

 

**_"Oh? You don't like your dad's current partner?"_** The radio host asked. Jim couldn't wipe the grin off his face.

 

**_"He doesn't have one right now,"_** Joanna replied.

 

**_"Where's your mom?"_** The woman asked. Jim rapped on the wheel. Maybe this girl had never had a mom? You couldn't just _ask_ things like that.

 

**_"She left,"_** Joanna's voice sounded quiet and sullen. Jim licked his lips and rested his head back against the headrest. The sound of the kid's voice, he knew it well. It's how his voice had sounded when his father died.

 

**_"I'm sorry to hear that Joanna,"_** the bitch of a radio host said. Jim couldn't believe that she was letting this continue and not cutting the call and getting someone to ring the household to see if everything was okay there.

 

**_"I've been pretty sad... But I think my dad's worse,"_** Joanna said and Jim reached forward to turn the radio up a little.

 

**_"And you're worried about him,"_** the radio host stated, not even making it a question. Oh, leading the child who sounded about nine. Well done. What a professional.

 

**_"I'm worried about him but I think he's more worried about me. Sometimes when I'm walking to school, I can see he's following me to make sure I get there alright. And tomorrow is Christmas! And you know what Christmas is like!"_ **

 

Jim smiled because Joanna sounded like she was a handful, but also because it was clear that although she was sad and worried, she also had a lot of common sense. Her father was probably proud of her.

 

**_"Have you talked to your dad about this?"_** The manipulative radio lady asked and Jim gritted his teeth. He'd rather listen to Joanna monologue than listen to the quack of a psychiatrist try to talk a nine year old through her parent's divorce.

 

**_"No."_ **

****

**_"Why not?"_ **

****

**_"He doesn't want to talk to me about it. It's like it makes him sadder,"_** Joanna admitted. Jim slid his hands over the wheel, feeling the leather against his palms. He knew those feelings as well, the feelings of wanting to talk to his mother about his father but being unable to for fear of making her sad too.

 

**_"You want me to talk to him?"_ **

 

"Oh hell no, douchebag radio lady. You can't be serious?" Jim glanced down at the radio. His hand hovered over the dial for a moment before he let it drop to the shift stick instead. He realised he couldn't turn over now.

 

**_"Are you crazy?"_** Joanna's voice was high-pitched and panicked. Jim chuckled to himself.

 

"Got a good head on your shoulders," he said, as though she were in the car with him.

 

**_"He thinks stuff like this is dumb and he's a doctor, so he should know, right? If you didn't have an 800 number I'd never have been able to get away with this..."_** Joanna said and Jim barked out a laugh.

 

**_"Is he home now? I can only help him if I talk to him directly,"_** Radio Idiot said and Jim gritted his teeth.

 

**_"I don't know..."_** Joanna dragged on the last word to show her reluctance. She was clearly going to be in a lot of trouble for this phonecall.

 

**_"I'm sure he won't be angry once he realises how concerned you are about him,"_** the weasel continued. Jim indicated to come off the freeway. Okay, it might take a _little_ longer to get to Illinois this way, but suddenly he was fascinated by the story unfolding on the radio, and the ruthlessness of the radio host. He wanted to hear to the end.

 

**_"If I get yelled at, I'm never gonna listen to your show again!"_** Joanna threatened. Jim laughed.

 

"You and me both, kiddo."

 

**Christmas Eve Night of 1992 - Atlanta, Georgia**

Joanna got up off the floor and took the telephone across the landing. Her father was sat in his study, a glass of bourbon by his side and a book spread across his lap. She stopped for a moment, staring at him, before taking a deep breath.

 

"Dad?" she asked. He jolted upright. He must have been falling asleep. She felt bad, because he'd not been able to sleep much at all recently, but she didn't say anything. Instead she held out the phone.

 

"There's someone on the phone for you..." she said, holding out the reciever. She then quickly took it back.

 

"My dad's a surgeon by the way, if that helps," she said into it before holding it back out again. Her father took it, frowning a little. Joanna jumped up to sit on his desk and waited for the shouting ot begin.

 

**Christmas Eve Night of 1993 - Atlanta, Georgia**

 

"Hello?" Leonard said down the phone. He was prepared at that moment to hang up. He wasn't entirely sure who was ringing, but it was pretty late and no one should have been phoning Joanna at that time.

 

"Hello, Doctor, this is Dr. Marcia Fieldstone on Network America," a soothingly voiced woman said down the phone. Leonard looked over at Joanna with a quirked eyebrow.

 

"Do you realise what time it is? I'm not interested in whatever it is you're tryin' to sell me sweetheart," he said, running his free hand through his hair.

 

"I'm not selling anything. Joanna rang me for advice on how to find you a new partner - male or female," the woman - Marcia, said. Leonard stopped dead and turned to face Joanna. He had never said anything to her about wanting to find someone new and he'd definitely not mentioned trying to find a _male_ partner. Damn, kids were perceptive.

 

"Jesus, are we on air? Joanna, get here right now!" Leonard snapped, trying to cover the reciever with his hand and reach for Joanna with the other. Joanna covered her ears with both her hands and Leonard closed his eyes, sighing.

 

"Joanna rang me because she feels you've been very unhappy since your wife left. She's genuinely very worried about you," Marcia said. Leonard felt rooted to the spot, like he couldn't have done anything else at that moment.

 

"Joanna, Joanna baby, come here. I'm not mad at you... Come here," he said and Joanna ran into his free arm. He hugged her tightly against him, aware that on the other end of the phone right now, anyone could be listening in.

 

"I think it's very hard for Joanna to talk to you about this, so maybe we could talk about it and Joanna could listen? It'd make her feel better," Marcia suggested. Leonard lowered himself to sit down on the floor, pulling Joanna against his side and stroking through her hair.

 

**Christmas Eve Night of 1993 - Riverside, Iowa To **Davenport, Iowa****

 

**_"_** ** _Pleeaaaaaase?"_** Joanna was begging. Jim growled under his breath.

 

"Talk about putting the guy on the spot. What a fucking joke," he said, but he didn't change the dial.

 

**_"All right I guess-"_ **

****

**_"Good. How long ago did your wife leave you?"_ **

 

"Jesus fucking Christ."

 

**Christmas Eve Night of 1993 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"About a year and a half ago," Leonard replied, carding his hands through Joanna's hair as he spoke.

 

"Have you been involved with anyone since?" Marcia asked. Leonard looked down at Joanna, thinking of all the mothers who had approached him in the time since they'd moved down here. He'd never so much as gone for coffee with one of them.

 

"No," he replied, feeling uncomfortable.

 

"Why not?" Marcia asked. Leonard wanted to accuse her of stepping into his privacy, but he could hang up at any time.

 

"Because I'm not sure I want to date another woman. I'm doing alright with Joanna. I've learned to braid hair and later, I'm going to tie her pigtails in a knot and hang her by them," he said, chuckling. He heard Marcia chuckle on the other end of the line.

 

"It sounds like you are getting along fine, but I don't think Joanna would have risked getting in so much trouble if she wasn't worried about something," the radio host suggested. Leonard sighed.

 

"I don't sleep at night. I'm sure Joanna's noticed. I can't. I just... pace around the house. Find little things to do. I mean, I clean now. My Ma would be proud..." Leonard said, laughing self-depreciatingly.

 

"But it's almost Christmas," he continued, stroking a tangle from the tip of Joanna's hair. "And when it comes down to it... I wish I could give Jo-Jo a Christmas with two parents instead of one."

 

"Could it be that you need someone as much as Joanna does?" Marcia asked.

 

Leonard thought about it before sucking in a breath.

**Christmas Eve Night of 1993 - Riverside, Iowa To **Davenport, Iowa****

 

"Yes," Jim heard himself saying before he frowned to himself. He was just tired, that was all. He wasn't being taken in by some soppy story on the radio. No way. No sir. Especially not after he'd decided he was going to stop all the playboy, adventure seeking, romantic bullshit.

 

**_"We've been talking to -- well, let's just call him Sleepless in Atlanta, and we'll be right back after this break with listener response, your response, to the things we've been discussing.  The number to call is..."_ **

 

Jim pulled into a rest stop. He needed some coffee and a good slap up the side of the head, he was sure.

 

He stepped into the diner and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. Two waitresses, perhaps in their mid-thirties, were stood idly wiping down surfaces.

 

"I bet he's gorgeous. Ones with baggage always are," one of them was saying. "And did you hear that accent? Man, I'll take some peaches to go with that!" She giggled as the other one swiped at her with a towel.

 

"Nah, I bet he's got warts or something. No woman could harden her heart against a man like that unless there was something wrong with him," she replied before turning to Jim. "What'll it be sweetness?"

 

"Just coffee. To go," he said. The waitress nodded and turned to get the coffee ready.

 

"I know one way to cure insomnia, if you know what I mean," the waitress continued, wiggling her behind and casting the other a wink. The other waitress rolled her eyes.

 

"Oh yeah well you get yourself down to Atlanta and rock his world. You know, if he's not sworn off women completely," she said. Jim guessed they were talking about Sleepless in Atlanta, or as Jim had taken to thinking of him 'sawbones' or 'bones'. It felt special to have that name for him, where everyone else was thinking of him as Sleepless. The adverts on the radio ended.

 

**_"Let's take a call before we go back to Sleepless in Atlanta. Knoxville, Tennessee, you're live,"_** Marcia said. Jim tapped his fingertips on the counter as a hush fell over the diner.

 

**_"I'd like to know where I can find this man's address?"_** a breathy southern voice said. Jim grimaced and was handed his coffee as one of the waitresses said something vulgar.

 

He darted across the forecourt and into his car, turning on the engine and listening carefully. He'd missed the response to the question, but he could guess that the address hadn't been given out live on air. Bitch-face Radio Host was back to asking the tough questions.

 

**_"Do you think there's anyone who you could love and trust as much as you loved and trusted your wife?"_** she asked. There was a long pause.

 

**_"It's hard to imagine loving or trusting anyone again,"_** the southern drawl replied. It made the hairs on the back of Jim's neck stand on end to hear. He'd never really considered voices as attractive one way or another, but this man definitely knew how to rock what he had. Even without a body or a face attached, Jim was almost certain he had to be smoking hot.

 

**_"What are you going to do, Sleepless?"_** Marcia asked. Jim began to pull off the forecourt, all the while his attention being mostly on the radio than the road in front.

 

**_"I don't know, ma'am. When I met Jocelyn... everythin' just felt right. I knew. I thought I still knew even to the day she left,"_** he said softly and Jim swallowed. It was what his mother had said, wasn't it? That she had just _known_. He hadn't just _known_ with Janice. He hadn't really considered her that attractive, but had grown to like her more as time went on.

 

**_"What was it that made you know?"_ **

 

**_"Jus' did. You can't really describe fallin' in love, can you?"_ **

****

Jim snorted, thinking about how he'd tried earlier with his mother. He liked this guy. He spoke to the point and wasn't letting the radio host get to him. It helped that he felt sorry for him. He'd had his privacy thoroughly invaded, and yet still was willing to open up.

****

**_"Why not?"_ **

****

**_"It's just something... something that can't be put into words, darlin'. When you feel it, you know. And I don't think I'm gonna feel it again any time soon."_ **

****

Jim swallowed. Something that you felt? He couldn't say for sure that he'd ever felt something like that. His palms felt sweaty and his heart was beating hard in his chest. He'd never felt that thing where he'd just _known_. He'd never felt something that he couldn't put into words. Not unless he was jumping from a plane.

****

**_"When I touched her, it felt like home... It was just like... Just like..."_ **

  
"Science."

 

**_"Perfect chemistry."_ **

****

Jim pulled up outside of Janice's parents house, staring at the radio. He swallowed thickly. He couldn't explain it, couldn't explain how just hearing someone's voice, someone's pain, how much he understood what a complete stranger was going through yet at the same time had no idea...

****

**_"Well it's time to wrap up folks!"_ **

__

Jim wiped his hands on his jeans.

__

"Jim?"

 

He jumped and looked out of the window of the passenger side to see Janice was stood there, beaming at him. She gave the car a once over.

 

"When were you going to tell me about this? Wow, it looks amazing! You drive this all the way from your mother's?"

 

She began to talk, the magic of Bones' voice almost disappearing under her chatter. But that night, when Jim closed his eyes, he could hear the lilting Southern drawl echoing through his mind.


	2. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "'I want to meet you...'" Jim typed, his tongue between his lips.
> 
> How about on the top of the Empire State Building?
> 
> "Thank you Cary Grant," Jim said, nodding to the screen. Gaila cackled and kicked her feet. "'...on top of the Empire State Building at sunset on Valentine's Day...'"

**Christmas Day of 1993 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"Tear at it then," Leonard said. Joanna didn't need telling twice. She had asked for an eclectic mix of things and pretty much received them all. She had got the Lion King merchandise she'd asked for and a weird lion pyjama set that left Leonard bemused but made Joanna squeal with delight.

 

She got a fishing rod from Scotty, who had said that they'd go fishing sometime soon when he came down. He'd also got Leonard a bottle of scotch, which had already been opened the night before.

 

Hikaru had sent over a plaque for above their fireplace by a philosopher that Leonard had quoted at him time and time again over the years. _Hope is the only good that is common to all men; those who have nothing else possess hope still._ Thales' quote stood pride of place as Joanna tore at more and more colourful wrapping.

 

Leonard had got Joanna a mixture of practical and novelty presents. A large map of the United States for her Geography studies (she'd been learning all about the different states in school) but also a toy fairy that when you pulled the cord, it went flying into the air and a hair braider that looked like it would probably rip her hair out by the follicles.

 

When it came to opening Joanna's present to him, he was a little worried. It came in a box that was rather small but quite heavy. He opened it carefully and inside was a clay silver lump.

 

He removed it to have a closer look. It did resemble something. A plane, he supposed, though why Joanna had thought to get him one he didn't know. He had a crippling fear of air travel and it had been difficult enough flying out from San Francisco to Atlanta a year and a half ago.

 

"Well, this is..."

 

"It's a plane Dad. One of the newest designs! We were learning all about them at school! They reckon soon that they're gonna be using them in the 'States to get high speed air travel like concord-" she prattled on. Leonard put it down and scooped her into a hug. The gift didn't really matter so much as the intent behind it. She'd made it for him, so it was perfect.

 

"Um, Dad...?" Joanna said hesitantly as he pulled away. "Did... Did Mom send a present?"

 

Leonard tried his best not to let his anger at the situation show on his face.

 

"Sorry, baby doll. Your mom rang last night and said she'd forgotten to send them on time. She says they'll come after new year," he said. Joanna bit her lip.

 

"Oh... Does that mean I can have another Christmas Day then?" she asked, brightening and putting on a shaky smile. Leonard rolled his eyes.

 

"Perhaps, Jo-Jo, perhaps."

 

"Can we make breakfast now?" Joanna asked, jumping to her feet. Leonard laughed and nodded. Orange-chocolate pancakes were always the order of the day on Christmas morning, and he followed Joanna into the kitchen to start making preparations.

 

He was melting the chocolate in a bowl above the bowling water when Joanna stopped mixing the lumpy pancake batter and looked over at him.

 

"Dad... about last night..." she started. Leonard gave her a long look.

 

"You mean when you rang up national radio and decided to tell them all about your dear old Pa?" he asked. Joanna looked down at the pancake batter, ashamed.

 

"Yeah, yeah, you look ashamed, missy," he said, before reaching down to tickled her ribs. She gasped and giggled and tried to squirm away. He eventually relented. "But we're never doing that again, alright?"

 

"Yeah alright," she said, holding up the batter. "Is this good enough?"

 

Leonard pretended to think about it, even though he knew he was going to have to mix it a little bit more anyway. He was about to answer when the doorbell went.

 

"You just keep mixing that, baby doll. I'll be right back," he said, turning the heat down on the stove and doing up his bath robe so he wasn't _quite_ so indecent answering the door.

 

There were two women standing outside. One was incredibly tall, blonde, leggy, the other was petite and slightly more curvy. They had almost identical Barbie doll smiles.

 

"Hello Doctor," one of them greeted him. He quirked an eyebrow upwards.

 

"Good morning," he said in reply. The women giggled.

 

"We're just doing our morning run and, well, we were going past your house and everything anyway. We just wanted you to know we've got no plans. _All day_. And we're quite happy to babysit Joanna, if you need someone to do that," Tall-leggy-blonde said. Leonard looked at them blankly.

 

"Thanks but me and Jo-Jo have got plans," he said. One of the women winked at him.

 

"Well, if you need someone to warm your stockings, Doctor, we live four houses up the road. Number 43," she said. Leonard raised an eyebrow.

 

"Merry Christmas," he said, at a loss at what else to say. They giggled and turned away, waving and jogging down the garden path. He shut the door and felt Joanna's hand on his leg.

 

"Definitely not," she said. Leonard laughed and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

 

"Oh I agree, Jo-Jo, but you brought this on yourself. Maybe I'll head down there later, turn on the old Dad-charm-"

 

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaad-!"

 

"C'mon. Let's finish off these pancakes."

 

**Christmas Day of 1993 - Atlanta, Georgia**

Joanna and Scotty were sat at the end of the boat. Scotty had flown out to Atlanta rather than spend Christmas in America alone. This year his family hadn't made it over from Scotland. Joanna sat with her fishing rod clasped between her gloved hands and Scotty was keeping an eye on her line to make sure she didn't miss her catch.

 

"So, how many people d'yae think heard last night?" Scotty asked. Leonard scowled, pulling up his hood in the hope that he wouldn't hear the conversation through the extra layer of cloth.

 

"Well... it's broadcast all over America apart from Alaska and Hawaii," Joanna replied. Leonard gritted his teeth and tried not to think too hard about how many _millions_ of people probably heard his _pathetic_ sob story.

 

"Oh wow," Scotty said, casting Leonard a sideways glance. "Well I guess no one will know it's you unless they know you personally. You didn't even give out yer first name."

 

"No, they would have to know that I'm Joanna, and my dad's a doctor from Georgia," Joanna agreed. "I bet no one knows it's us..."

 

"You better hope-" Leonard began but at that moment Joanna's reel started spinning and they worked instead at helping her haul in her catch.

 

**Day after Boxing Day of 1993 - Davenport, Iowa**

Jim stared around the office. It was a standard day but it felt too close to Christmas to be at work again. He could still feel the bloated feeling of having eaten too much leftover turkey yesterday. Janice had even packed him extra turkey sandwiches today to get through it all.

 

"I'm way too talented to be writing the social pages for New Year's Eve again. Let me get my teeth into a proper story for once!" Nyota Uhura was saying, her mouth in a thin line as she fought her point. Jim probably would have tried to hit on her once. Pike had his arms folded in front of him.

 

"New Year's Even social pages have to be done right. You're the best after all," Pike said. Jim rolled his eyes, knowing that wasn't going to convince Uhura at all. Between the two of them, Gaila was sat, drumming her nails on the table between them.

 

"You know, there's a much hotter story we could run at the moment anyway," Gaila said, holding up a tearsheet and dancing with it. "Think it's right up our technology editor's street."

 

Jim frowned and leaned forward. Uhura and Pike exchanged a glance before Pike snatched it from Gaila's hand. Jim rested his chin on his hand.

 

"You see, Christmas Eve, some hot doctor's kid rings up a radio station asking them to find her daddy a new wife," Gaila said, her grin spreading across her lips. "And you know what, total meltdown on the phone lines. They received over 2000 calls while this guy was on air."

 

Jim sat up straight. "I was listening to that," he said. Pike raised an eyebrow and Jim rubbed the back of his neck.

 

"I mean, I was driving back from my mother's. It was either that or listening to Jingle Bells backwards," Jim said. Realising he wasn't convincing anyone he just took the tearsheet off Pike, scanning over the information. "But yeah. Tear-jerking stuff. The radio shrink was a complete bitch though. Can't believe he actually spilled his whole life story to her. I mean, I would have thought he'd want to keep his privacy, you know, but he was spilling all about how he'd known he loved her from the start and..." Jim looked up to see Uhura and Gaila watching him with amused smiles.

 

"Looks like it _is_ up our technology editor's street. Jim, I want you to cover the impact that technology is having on people's love lives," Pike said. He turned to Uhura. "And I guess you can have the social commentary side of it. Demonize the shrink or whatever. Play up the bisexual angle. I don't care, find me something to get hormonal women like Jim here buying the paper."

 

Jim suddenly realised what was happening and he stood up. "I was gonna write a story about that new plane that they're launching though-"

 

"Well, now you're going to write about how cell phone technology is the new dating technology and link it into this sob story from Atlanta," Pike replied. Jim leaned back in his chair with a sigh.

 

Gaila handed him a cassette. "I taped the whole conversation for you. You know, if you wanted to listen to Doctor Sexy again," she said as she got to her feet. Jim put his head in his hands.

 

**Day after Boxing Day of 1993 - Davenport, Iowa**

Jim sighed as he bit into his burger. He could feel the weight of the cassette in his breast pocket. It was almost like it had a pulse of its own. He didn't want to think about it, but he knew he was going to have to. He was going to have to listen and analyse and come up with a unique selling point...

 

He sighed again.

 

"Alright, Kirk, what's up?" Uhura asked. She picked up a fry from his plate, nibbling at the end. Jim took another mouthful of burger.

 

"Nuffin'," he replied with his mouthful. Uhura wrinkled her nose.

 

"You're disgusting," she said. "And a liar."

 

Jim swallowed his burger. He took a deep breath, realised he was about to sigh again and decided it was time just to be out with it. He pulled the cassette out of his pocket, throwing it to the dinner table between them.

 

"Oh, Sleepless in Atlanta?" Uhura asked, picking up the cassette and turning it over in her elegant hands.

 

"That's what they're calling him but I'm calling him 'Bones'. It's kind of tasteless to name him after insomnia caused by having a rough patch," Jim replied. Uhura shook her head.

 

"Oh and it's fine to give him a name based on his profession that implies _death_?" she asked. Jim shrugged.

 

"Well, two thousand desperate, horny souls want a piece of this guy..." Uhura said, throwing the cassette back down on the table between them. "He could be a psychopath. He could be mentally deficient. He could be terminally ill. He might think it's a fantastic idea to flash people at the weekends. No one knows anything about him yet after two minutes on the radio, they think he's the one for them."

 

Jim felt a blush creeping up the back of his neck. "He didn't seem like any of those things. You should listen to the recording."

 

Uhura looked at the tape and then quirked an eyebrow up.

 

"Well, what do you know? James Kirk's actually got a touch of the romantic left in him. Thought Janice had hammered that all out of you," she said. Jim gave her the finger.

 

"Bite me."

 

**Day after Boxing Day of 1993 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"Alright Jo-Jo, just don't get into any trouble, okay?" Leonard said, picking her up to sit on the counter. The Receptionist smiled warmly at him.

 

"Oh, I'll take her up to the Children's Area, Doctor McCoy. Don't you worry about anything," she said. Leonard smiled at her and tapped Joanna on the nose.

 

"See. So be good," he said, kissing the top of Joanna's head. He turned around and nearly walked straight into Pavel Chekov, a Junior Doctor who had taken a particular shine to him.

 

"Good morning Doctor!" Pavel greeted. Leonard smiled and fell into step with him.

 

"How's things?" Leonard asked. Pavel grimaced.

 

"Ze new nurse, Christine, has been wery, wery thorough," he said. Leonard quirked an eyebrow and waited for him to explain.

 

"She has been doing ewerything by the book. Wery proper. Not wery efficient," Pavel continued and Leonard thought he could guess the problems that Pavel was finding. "Lots of paperwork that the old Ward Sister used to do for us."

 

"Well, it'll keep us busy," Leonard replied with a shrug. Pavel looked up at him.

 

"I thought you were... how do you Americans say it...? Getting back in ze game? Are you sure you will be hawing time?" Pavel asked. Leonard looked at him and then rubbed his forehead.

 

"Great. Just great. How many people made this connection, hm?" he asked. Pavel smiled a little unsurely.

 

"W-well... It has been doing the rounds," he said, looking a little unsure of himself. "Some are saying if you take out Nurse Chapel, perhaps she will be being less worried about paperwork and more worried about doctors."

 

Leonard let out a groan. It wasn't that Christine Chapel wasn't a perfectly fine looking woman. She was beautiful. It was more that he had never really felt that attracted to her apart from in the most superficial of ways. She was too much like himself in some ways, and too cold in others.

 

"Why does it have to be me that runs interference?" Leonard asked. Pavel shrugged.

 

"I'm being too young," he replied. Leonard glance at Joanna and then sighed.

 

"Well, why not? I can ask her out I guess," he said, shrugging. Pavel shook his head.

 

"Good luck Doctor McCoy," he said. "Oh, are you coming to the New Year's Eve Party?"

 

Leonard clapped the little Russian on the shoulder and shook his head. "Nah. I'm spending it with Joanna. Gotta be there on the big occasions, you know."

 

Pavel nodded and touched his hand to McCoy's elbow.

 

"We will miss you being there, Doctor McCoy. Be looking after yourself."

 

**Evening of the Day after Boxing Day of 1993 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"Daaaaaaad?"

 

Leonard looked up from his book. Joanna was there in her Lion King pyjamas, her feet bare as she padded over the hard wood floors.

 

"Yes baby doll?" he asked. She climbed onto his lap and he put his arms around her.

 

"Dad... Jane has asked if I can stay over at hers on New Year's Eve... Can I? Please?" she asked. Leonard reached out, tucking her hair behind her ears. He didn't want to say yes, he wanted to keep her to himself, but that was selfish. He instead stroked over her hair.

 

"Yeah, sure, jellybean," he said. Joanna's grin was bright and she gave him a quick hug before jumping off his lap. "I love you Daddy!"

 

"Yeah yeah," he said, waving his hand at her.

 

When she left, he got up to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a healthy amount out before knocking it back immediately. He raised the back of his hand to his mouth, putting his hand on his hip as he tried to hold his emotions back.

 

Goddamnit.

 

 _Goddamnit_.

 

**New Year's Eve of 1993 - Atlanta, Georgia**

Leonard had to admit that it had been a long time since he got to spend New Year's Eve in his boxer shorts with a bowl of Doritos and a bottle of beer. He reached down to adjust himself, relishing the fact that he could do it non-discreetly, as the TV showed New Year's celebrations from all over the world in the run up to the ball dropping in Times Square.

 

The phone rang.

 

He got up to answer it. The sounds from the end of the other line were busy, people shouting and cheering. There was the sound of laughter.

 

"Len? Leonard?" A woman was saying. Leonard took a sip of his beer, feeling the tide of resentment and melancholy rising up to overwhelm him like bile in this throat.

 

"Hello Jocelyn," he said. She sounded drunk as she giggled.

 

"I want to talk to Joanna," Jocelyn demanded. Leonard scratched his forehead.

 

"She ain't here, Joce. She's havin' a sleepover at a friends," he said. Jocelyn went quiet on the other end, though the party still seemed to rage on around her.

 

"Such a fucking liar, Leonard," she said and Leonard just put the phone down. He didn't need to hear any of that shit right now. He pulled the cord out of the wall for good measure. He could reconnect it before he went to bed so that Joanna could get hold of him.

 

"4... 3..." The television was counting down towards midnight and Leonard stared at it. What could a new year possibly bring?

 

**New Year's Day of 1994 - Davenport, Iowa**

"1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

 

Champagne corks popped, people cheered, people kissed. Jim leaned down and kissed Janice's cheek as everyone around them started to see the new year in with a dance.

 

"I was thinking... You know how I have that... that conference thing in Boston? Then I have to head over to New York? Why don't we spend Valentine's Day this year in New York?" Janice asked. Jim turned to her. It wasn't what he expected.

 

"Yeah, sure. We can look around the city," he said with a shrug. New York had once held a lot of promise for him, but he had given up his degree in Astrophysics and his idea of pursuing academia to go into journalism.

 

"We'll go for walks in Central Park, and you're going to take me for dinner overlooking the city! Oh we can register at the department stores..." Janice began to ramble about her plans and Jim looked around at the party.

 

He could see around him, all those people with the perfect chemistry, the magic, the _knowing_. He could feel it filling the room, moving between them like something tangible. He looked down at Janice.

 

Yeah, yeah that was what he thought.

 

**Early January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"Er, Dad?"

 

Leonard popped his head out of the kitchen. Joanna was at the door and she had a clipboard in her hand to show she was signing for something. He dropped the breakfast dishes back into the sink and grabbed a towel, walking over to her and drying off his hands.

 

"What's..." he trailed off when he saw the mountains of bound letters that the mailman was offloading onto their doorstep. He stared down at the packages.

 

_To Sleepless in Atlanta c/o Network America_

"Well damn," he said, putting a hand on Joanna's shoulder before she stooped up to start bringing the letters inside.

 

"Dad, they're all for you!" she said, untying one of the knots of string and beginning to sort through the multitude of envelopes.

 

"Thanks," Leonard said as the mailman left. He picked up the letters, dumping them by the doorway. Joanna began to quite happily go through them all. Leonard left her to it.

 

There was no way in hell he was going to answer a single letter. They were the kind of people  who wrote to inmates on Death Row. He could sense the crazy emanating from them.

 

No way.

 

**Early January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

Dinner was served, though Joanna was still going through the letters. She'd barely stopped all day and Leonard was having quite a lot of fun when Joanna picked out choice bits to read to him. So far, nearly every single letter had been dismissed.

 

"Dear Sleepless in Atlanta, did you know your voice is like warm, dripping honey?" Joanna read, then made a gagging noise and threw the letter over her shoulder. Leonard couldn't help but agree with her there.

 

"Dear Sleepless in Atlanta, I'm a young, blond bottom- Dad, what's a bottom?" Joanna asked, frowning. "Does he mean he's a butt?"

 

Leonard reached over and snatched the letter from Joanna's hand, crumpling it up and trying not to blush. "It's just a term some people use when they have no shame and didn't realise that some child was going to be going through their letters," he said. Joanna nodded, as though that made complete sense.

 

Leonard began to worry about what might be in the rest of the letters.

 

"Dear Sleepless in Atlanta. I live in Tulsa," Joanna read. She frowned. "Dad, where's Tulsa?"

 

"Oklahoma. Miles away. Let's not read any letters that are from out of state at least, huh?" he suggested, though he had no intention of dating any of the people who had sent him letters.

 

Joanna looked at her map on the wall, sussing out where Oklahoma was in relation to them and then sighing and picking up another letter.

 

"This one says she's willing to fly!" Joanna said cheerfully, holding up a picture. The woman looked nice. She was probably a psychopath.

 

"Pretty sure that's a catalogue model, jelly bean," he said. Joanna glared at him.

 

"No it's not. It's really her picture! Dad, take this seriously!" Joanna protested. Leonard sighed.

 

"Look, this isn't how you meet people, alright Jo-Jo?" he protested. "You're meant to... I don't know... Meet someone you like and then have a few drinks and a meal. Although you don't have a meal on your first date, because that means you can't escape if you need to... At least that's what dating was like when I was doing it..."

 

"Yeah well times have changed! I read this news article the other day from this guy from Davenport-"

 

"What on earth were you doing reading a newspaper from Iowa?" Leonard asked, prodding at his pasta and trying not to get too caught up on Joanna's _own_ brand of craziness.

 

"I've been keeping all the articles that have been run on you! Anyway, this guy was talking about how dating has changed loads with modern technology! They reckon soon you're going to be able to date people on the Internet! Like you won't even have to meet in real life first!" she said. Leonard rolled his eyes and took a sip of his water.

 

"Oh great. Literally no way to identify the crazy," he said, scratching his temple and trying not to snap at her. "No offence, sweetheart, but I'm not about to just date someone I've never met."

 

**Early January of 1994 - Davenport, Iowa**

Jim closed his eyes. Janice felt soft against him. Her hair dragged across his body as she lavished kisses down his torso. He could barely stay awake though. It had been a long day.

 

There had once been a time when he had thought this was the best part of relationships. But now, well, it was routine, and something they seemed to do just because it was what couples did, right?

 

They did it missionary style. Her nails didn't dig into his back, her face was pressed against the pillow away from him. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about anything except the sensations surrounding him.

 

But when it came down to it, all he could hear was that deep voice in his mind and he gripped the sheets tightly.

 

**Early January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"Dad... if you get a new someone... are you gonna have sex?" Joanna asked. Leonard paused as he tucked her into bed. He had never really been that comfortable talking to Joanna about this kind of stuff, but he guessed he was the only one she _could_ talk to now.

 

"Yeah, most likely," he said. Joanna nodded.

 

"Even if it's a guy?" she asked. Leonard let out a small laugh.

 

"Yeah, even if it's a guy," he said, smiling and smoothing her hair away from her head.

 

"How does that work?" she asked. Leonard closed his eyes and decided that there were some things his little girl didn't need to know yet.

 

"When you're older, I'll let you know," he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. Joanna smiled and then held up Simba.

 

"Kiss Simba too," she said. Leonard obliged and then tucked Simba in as well.

 

"Goodnight Jo-bean," he said. Joanna smiled and turned over in bed, undoing all the effort that had gone into tucking her in immediately.

 

Leonard left the door open a crack, to let the hallway light in, and then silently went downstairs.

 

Maybe there was some porn on cable he could watch right now to take his mind off how _little_ sex he was getting?

 

**Early January of 1994 - Davenport, Iowa**

Jim got out of bed. Janice was already asleep and it wouldn't disturb her. He went down to the kitchen and made himself hot chocolate. He couldn't concentrate. Ever since he'd run that article on Bones, he'd been strangely hung up on what happened to him. What had happened next to that lonely doctor in Atlanta?

 

He sat down at the table and stared in front of him. The radio was like his enemy. He stared at it for a long moment before he sighed and turned it on.

 

**_"Up next, "You and Your Emotions" with Dr.  Marcia Fieldstone, clinical psychologist and the best friend you never had."_ **

 

Jim put his head in his hands, the smells of cocoa wafting to his nose. This was ridiculous. He reached for an apple, starting to peel the skin off in one thin, continuous strip for something to do with his hands. The teaser for the show continued.

 

**_"He says he doesn't love me anymore."_ **

****

**_"Why do you want to be with someone who doesn't love you?"_ **

****

**_"Every time I come close to orgasm he stops and goes to make himself a sandwich --"_ **

****

**_"Why don't you make him a sandwich beforehand?"_ **

 

Jim snorted out some laughter. Really, perfect advice right there.

****

**_"When I touched her, it felt like home... It was just like... Just like... Perfect chemistry."_ **

****

Jim stilled, staring at the radio, his mug between his hands. His heart had sped up suddenly.

 

**_"We'll be back after this commercial with Dr. Marcia Fieldstone."_ **

****

Jim drank the scalding hot cocoa, bit deeply into the apple he'd peeled and then turned off the radio. He went to sit on the couch and if he fell asleep there, well, Janice didn't even wake him on her way out in the morning

 

**Early January of 1994 - Davenport, Iowa**

 

Jim burst into Uhura's office, shutting the door behind him and walking up to her desk. Uhura looked surprised to see him, dropping her pen and looking up at him with raised eyebrows.

 

"I'm going nuts," Jim said, throwing his hands up in the air. "I'm going literally insane."

 

Uhura seemed to not know what to say.

 

"I mean... you're getting married, right? You're happy aren't you?" Jim asked. Uhura took a deep breath.

 

"Jim, I'm marrying your best friend. I'm not gonna answer anything other than yes to that," she pointed out. Jim waved his hand impatiently.

 

"I mean... when you met Spock... Was it all fireworks and trumpets...?" Jim asked, waving his arms around animatedly. Uhura rested her chin on her hands.

 

"Spock said it was the logical course to get married if we intended to stay together for a long time," she said. Jim made a frustrated gesture with his hands.

 

"But like... when you first met? Did you know he was going to be that one guy for you forever? Like... I don't know? Fate or something?" Jim asked. Uhura tilted her head to the side.

 

"Well, when you meet someone and you're attracted to them... It's mostly just biology. You're attracted to them on a subconscious level. It's just the chemistry involved," she said, sitting back against her desk. Jim finally sank into the seat opposite her, running his hands through his hair.

 

"I've never even met him. Why am I having fantasies about him?" Jim asked. Uhura took a deep breath.

 

"This is Sleepless in Atlanta, right?" she asked. Jim nodded.

 

"Gets real hot down there in the summer," she said. Jim tried to stop his leg jumping.

 

"I don't want to live in Georgia. But at the same time... I just feel like... Like _what if_ you know? What if I do something and this guy turns out to be the love of my life? What if I marry Janice and spend the rest of my life wondering about some guy who can't sleep in Atlanta?" Jim said, his voice becoming more high-pitched in its excitement. Uhura lightly bit the end of one of her nails.

 

"You sure you don't just have cold feet about marrying Janice?" Uhura asked. Jim jumped to his feet. He was happy to take that out. That had to be it. There was no way he was falling in love with some guy he'd never met. He didn't do things like that anymore. He'd sworn _off_ things like that, at least in his love life.

 

"You're right. That's what it is. Just cold feet. Everyone gets them right?" he said. "I feel so much better after having spoken to you. Thanks Uhura. I owe you a drink some time."

 

"Any time, Kirk," she said. Jim stepped out of the office, but he didn't feel any lighter.

 

**Mid-January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"I haven't dated in years," Leonard said. Beside him Chekov nodded.

 

"It is not being easy when we are constantly in work," he said, shrugging. "I am dating when I find time but it is not often. I find it hard to make connections with people when I am not seeing them for sometimes weeks at a time."

 

Leonard groaned. He'd forgotten about the time constraints on top of his general inexperience. He wanted to know more about what the dating scene was like but at the same time, he didn't want to freak himself out about it.

 

"What are people looking for in dates now?" he asked. Chekov thought about it as he led Leonard to a Chinese restaurant a few blocks away. They'd decided to make the most of the one night that Leonard had found a babysitter for Joanna to have a few beers and eat some food that was truly bad for them. And Leonard wanted to pick the younger man's brains for advice.

 

"The same as they always were, I am guessing," Chekov replied. "Only you don't have to pay for everything anymore. Women will be letting you pay for some things, not for others. Oh and you gotta have a cute butt, luckily yours is passable Doctor."

 

"Thanks but this sounds complicated," Leonard said glumly. Chekov nodded.

 

"It is. Some women are offended if you do not pay. Some are offended if you do. Women are hard. Men are easier. You should date men Doctor McCoy," he said, shrugging. Leonard sighed and held open the door so Chekov could enter the restaurant.

 

"It is easy. You'll manage it Doctor. Just think of acting like in the old movies. Women love men who act like men from old movies... Like what is he being called... Not Clark Gable... Cary Grant!" Pavel clicked his fingers. McCoy rolled his eyes.

 

"With this accent? I'll be lucky if I manage to get them to stop laughing long enough to take me seriously."

 

**Mid-January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"Jo-Jo?"

 

Leonard burped, grimacing at the taste of Chinese and beer that exploded across his taste buds. Great.

 

No response or sound of feet. The babysitter had left a few minutes earlier, just before Leonard arrived, but he had thought...

 

"Joanna?!" Leonard darted up the stairs. Still no reply.

 

"Jo?!" he yelled. He could feel panic shooting through him. He slammed open the door to Joanna's room and found her on the phone.

 

"Dad! What?!" she protested. Leonard looked at the phone distrustfully.

 

"Sorry Jed, one second. My dad just came in," she said, putting her hand over the receiver.

 

" _Jed?_ " Leonard repeated. Joanna nodded.

 

"Yeah. I'm kind of in a private call, so can you give me a minute?" she asked. Leonard nodded, stepping back out of the room and closing the door behind him. He stared at it for a long moment.

 

"Oh hell no. My daughter is _not_ starting dating before I get myself a date," he said to himself before going downstairs and picking up his private line.

 

"Hi Christine?... Yeah it's Leonard McCoy here... I don't know if you're up for it or not but I wondered if you wanted to go for a drink?... Dinner?... Oh I... Yeah, yeah, Friday's fine... Sure, dinner, why not?..."

 

**Mid-January of 1994 - Davenport, Iowa**

 

_Are you in love with him?_

 

Jim watched Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr on the screen. He'd always had a soft spot for this movie, though he'd never have admitted it to anyone other than Gaila.

 

_I'm not now._

 

"I do not understand these kinds of relationships Jim, or why you idolise them so much," Gaila said, sipping from a mostly empty wine glass. Jim smiled and put his own wine glass down amidst the crumpled paper of failed letters.

 

He had been typing letters to Bones for the entire movie's length and had got nowhere. He wanted it to be somehow romantic and yet keeping things completely platonic at the same time but he couldn't. He looked at his old typewriter with distrust. It was failing him right now.

 

"It's just romance, Gaila. Nothing too weird, you know. Just because I like to live life by the skin of my teeth, doesn't mean that I don't have any time for romance," he said. "These movies... they belong to a time where... distance, time, it just doesn't matter. Because people just knew.... It was..."

 

"A film and most decidedly not real, Jim Kirk," Gaila interrupted his reverie. "Most people, even back then, were having affairs, and cheating on their significant others with women like me. Not that I would have said no to either of them if they had come knocking."

 

Jim laughed.

 

"You do not want love, Jim Kirk. You want someone who is meant to be for you, like a movie. You can then say that everything that happened that was bad was supposed to happen that way so you could meet this one true love of yours... Read me your letter. I want to know how crazy you sound," Gaila demanded. Jim unrolled the paper from the typewriter so he could read it.

 

"'Dear Bones and Bonesette-'"

 

"I love how it sounds like the name of a terrible 50s band," Gaila said, giggling. Jim hit her gently with the back of his hand.

 

"'I'm not the kind of guy who listens to call-in radio shows-'"

 

"You are a true poet, Jim Kirk. I'm sure that no one has started their letter to one that they are supposedly fated to be in love with that way before. Why don't you start with something more flashy?" Gaila asked.

 

"Because I don't want him to think I'm some kind of freak perhaps?" Jim replied. Gaila giggled. "'I know that it's the worst way to start a letter, but it's the only way I can think of to describe what happened. Of course, I might just be losing my mind. That's also a distinct possibility.'"

 

"You are losing your mind, Jim Kirk. You are _engaged_ and even if I don't believe in this whole heterosexual, one man one woman bullshit that your culture has come up with, even I can tell you that most people don't go after some man on the radio when they're meant to be marrying a woman," Gaila said, curling her hair around her finger.

 

"I'm going to marry Janice. I just need to get Bones out of my system," Jim said, looking at the letter in his hands. Gaila took another sip of wine.

 

"I should mention science," Jim said. Gaila frowned. "I'll never meet this guy, so what's the harm? I can say what I like and then it'll never come to pass so it's not like I have to hold anything back." He threaded the paper back through the typewriter.

 

"'I want to meet you...'" Jim typed, his tongue between his lips.

 

_How about on the top of the Empire State Building?_

 

"Thank you Cary Grant," Jim said, nodding to the screen. Gaila cackled and kicked her feet. "'...on top of the Empire State Building at sunset on Valentine's Day...'"

 

"Well, you will be in New York, Jim Kirk. Sounds like it isn't so much a fantasy as you want to believe it to be," Gaila said, downing the rest of her wine. "I mean, you have arranged it so it's possible."

 

"I don't know what you mean," Jim replied, more so he could deny it to himself than to Gaila. Gaila rolled her eyes.

 

"You need to understand something about destiny, Jim Kirk. Destiny is... is meeting someone who chooses you as you choose them. It is nothing about fate or preordained meetings. It's about two different sets of neuroses finding each other acceptable at the same time for whatever reason. It is a girl wanting to join the mile high club and sitting next to someone on the plane who wants to do the same. Or someone desperately wanting to get a boyfriend, and finding someone who is not picky about who they want in a girlfriend, and them getting together. That is 'destiny', Jim Kirk, not this Empire State Building nonsense," Gaila said. Jim looked at the letter.

 

"You never told me you had sex on a plane," he said. Gaila laughed.

 

"I didn't tell you many things, Jim Kirk," Gaila replied. Jim opened his mouth to respond but then the scene on the television caught his eye.

 

"I love this bit," he said.

 

_It's now or never._

Jim's mouth moved along with the dialogue.

 

_We'd be fools to let this happiness pass us by._

 

Gaila poked him in the cheek.

 

_Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories._

 

"I do not understand this movie!" Gaila protested. Jim laughed and squeezed her knee.

 

"There is all this romance, never any sex. I don't get it. How can they be in love without there being sex?" Gaila asked and Jim shrugged.

 

"She's in a wheelchair by the end. I don't think we're meant to question the physics of it," he replied. Gaila thwacked Jim across the head.

 

"Just because she's in a wheelchair, doesn't mean that she isn't having fabulous sex! For all you know your Bones is disabled!" Gaila snapped. Jim raised his hands.

 

"Hey, that's cool if it's true. I just meant that this is meant to be beyond such base discussion as whether or not they do the do missionary or doggy-style!" he protested. Gaila downed the rest of her glass and poured herself more wine.

 

**Mid-January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

Joanna was sick. Leonard wiped her forehead with a damp cloth. Usually she never got ill, but today she did. He carefully adjusted her in his arms.

 

"I had a dream, Dad... I dreamt that our house set on fire and we couldn't get out," Joanna said, coughing. Leonard grimaced and stroked through her hair.

 

"It's alright, baby doll, we're gonna be alright. You remember when you were little? Your mom used to sing to you when you had a bad dream..." Leonard said, kissing the top of her head. Joanna's eyes closed.

 

"Bye bye blackbird," she said softly. "She sang 'bye bye blackbird'..."

 

"Yeah that's it," Leonard said, gently rocking Joanna.

 

"I miss her, Dad," Joanna sniffled. Leonard felt his throat tighten. He squeezed Joanna closer to him.

 

"Do you think Mom misses me?" Joanna asked. Leonard held her close for a long time.

 

"Yeah, baby doll, I reckon she misses you every day," he said. "I bet she misses you every second of every day."

 

"Then why doesn't she ever visit?" Joanna asked. Leonard had to take a few moments to compose himself and even so, when he spoke his voice was choked sounding.

 

"Because your Mom... Your mom has got other things to do now that keep her busy. But she misses you Jo-bean, she does," he said firmly. Joanna clutched to his pyjama shirt.

 

"I'm starting to forget her," Joanna said softly. Leonard felt his heart clench.

 

"She.... Your mom she could peel an apple in one long swirl," he said, smiling slightly at the memory. Jocelyn had been a lot of things in the end, but she hadn't always been that way. There had been things he loved once. "It's alright, Joanna. It's alright, sweetheart. We'll get you a picture of her for your room next time she calls," he said softly. Joanna fell silent beside him. He sought to desperately change the subject.

 

"Did I tell you I have a date on Friday?" Leonard asked. Joanna shook her head.

 

"But it's good though," she said. Leonard nodded and Joanna didn't continue the subject, didn't ask what she was like or anything more.

 

"Did I tell you about the time when I was a kid and I drank some milk that was slightly off and pooped my pants?"

 


	3. Stalking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "His name is James Tiberius Kirk. But he goes by 'Jim'," Joanna said. "He has a silly middle name like you do."
> 
> "Yes, yes he does. Now I'm late," Leonard said, grabbing his shoes and starting to lace them. Joanna climbed over the back of the couch towards him.

**Mid-January of 1994 - Davenport, Iowa**

"Yeah, yeah it's Jim? From Davenport? Yeah that one. I was wondering... I'm doing another article on technology and dating and was wondering... Yeah, I'm glad you liked it... I was just wondering if you know anyone connected to Marcia Fieldstone?"

 

"Hello. I'm a writer from the Davenport Gazette. Yeah yeah, she rang ahead? I'm a friend of hers. I'm doing a piece on how people are using technology to handle break-ups and stuff. I know you had a caller the other night... Uh huh... Uh huh... I know you're not supposed to but I'll plug the show and..."

 

Jim sighed and put the phone down. He had a number.

 

He carefully dialled the number. It rang and rang and then he heard the beep as it went to answer phone.

 

"This is the house of Joanna and Leonard McCoy. We're out so can you leave us a message! I'm sure my dad will- Joanna what're you doing - Changing our voicemail!" It cut out and Jim hung up.

 

McCoy. Leonard McCoy. That was Bones' real name.

 

He turned away from his phone to his computer, hitting the dial-up and waiting for it to connect. It screeched away as he traced over the looped letters of Bones' name. The computer beeped.

 

**[Directory.  Enter password.]**

**[James Kirk. DGazzette124.]**

**[Find.]**

 

Jim paused and rubbed at his face for a few moments when he thought about what he was really doing here. He then shook his head and went for it. What did he have to lose?

 

**[Leonard McCoy.]**

**[216 Leonard McCoy.  Strike Y to printout or enter factors.]**

Jim sighed. That was too wide. He was not going to look through over two hundred different men to find his Bones. He was not that desperate or crazy.

 

**[Leonard McCoy, Atlanta.]**

**[Not found.]**

"This is a sign, Jim. A sign that you need to stop being so goddamn crazy," he said to himself. "You're a stalker, a goddamn stalker."

 

**[Leonard McCoy, Joanna McCoy.]**

**[Leonard McCoy, Joanna McCoy found.  Strike Y to printout or enter factors.]**

Jim hesitated for a moment before he tapped the [Y] key and waited for the print out.

 

It was a funeral notice. Jim stared at it for a long moment.

 

**[McCoy, David, beloved husband of Ellie, mother of Leonard, grandfather of Joanna, June 10, Funeral 10 a.m.  Thursday, Church of the Heavenly Rest, in lieu of flowers contributions should be sent to San Francisco Horticultural Society.  {San Francisco Times, June 12, 1992.}]**

 

So the guy's father wasn't long dead either. He was really shit out of luck at the moment, wasn't he?

 

Jim tried another search.

 

**[Leonard.  McCoy, San Francisco.]**

**[Three Leonard McCoys.  Strike Y to printout.]**

 

Jim hit [Y] again for the printouts.

 

**[Leonard McCoy, arrested for grand larceny, 1961.  Leonard McCoy, alderman, convicted of accepting bribes, 1967.  Leonard H. McCoy, neuro-surgeon, San Francisco City Hospital 1990.]**

 

Jim pressed [Y] again for the printout once more.

 

It brought up a photo. It was grainy and Jim could barely make out McCoy's features, but he could see that he was tall, dark, muscled. His direct features were too difficult to make out but Jim felt his stomach contract.

 

He was in so much trouble.

 

He grabbed his wallet and his coat and walked out of the office. He had contacts, though he hadn't been in investigative journalism recently. He knew where he was going and he headed there immediately.

 

His stomach was doing flips. This was insane, he was ridiculous for even trying to do this. There was no way, even if he met Bones, that they would get together. It was just impossible.

 

He got to the PI office without too much trouble. The Detective there owed him a few small favours and he let Jim in with only a mild grimace.

 

"What can I do for you, Kirk?" Hendorff asked. Jim beamed at him.

 

"Well you see, cupcake, I'm after some information on this guy," he said. Hendorff sighed and sat down, bringing up his records on the computer. Jim was almost certain that these records were illegal, but he didn't care.

 

"What do you want to know? Wives? Kids?" he asked. Jim shook his head.

 

"I already know all that," he said with a shrug.

 

"Finances? I can run a D&B...?" Hendorff suggested but trailed off when he saw Jim was shaking his head. He was clearly pissed off already.

 

"Then what?" he asked. Jim shrugged.

 

"I just... you know... Wanna know what he's like? Does he like certain things? Hate others? Is he a good person?" Jim asked. Hendorff stared at him.

 

"Right... A nice person..." he repeated. Jim groaned and leaned forward.

 

"Look, the truth is I heard this guy on the radio and now I'm thinking of calling off my whole engagement to my girlfriend over it because I've become obsessed with him to a stalkerish level," he admitted. Hendorff looked mildly nauseated.

 

"Like that movie..."

 

"No. This is real life. I just want to know about him," Jim said. Hendorff sighed and picked up the phone.

 

"You're gonna need an actual tail for this. I've got a guy in Atlanta who'll do it for you at the moment but jeez, Kirk, you're fucking crazy man."

 

**Mid-January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

Leonard bounded down the stairs, desperately trying to get his hair the way he wanted it. Joanna was sat on the sofa with her babysitter who was possibly stoned before she'd even got there. Whatever, he was way too nervous to consider anything else at that moment.

 

He glanced at the counter. Ah yes, the letters were still coming in. Another one labelled 'Sleepless in Atlanta' and then another one with 'Bones and Bonesette' which was unique.

 

"Jo-bean, here's one addressed to both of us," he said, snatching it up and bringing it over to her as he adjusted his shirt collar again.

 

"It's from Iowa," Joanna said and Leonard made a small noise in the back of his throat.

 

"If I'm not back by midnight, assume Chapel has murdered me and phone the police... That was a joke by the way," he said. The babysitter didn't even look at him.

 

"This is a good letter Dad," Joanna said suddenly turning around. Leonard rolled his eyes.

 

"I look like an idiot. I look like I'm tryin' way too hard. I mean, what am I thinkin'? I'm a doctor, not a fashion model," he replied. Joanna was crawling up the back of the couch, the letter in her outstretched hand.

 

"His name is James Tiberius Kirk. But he goes by 'Jim'," Joanna said. "He has a silly middle name like you do."

 

"Yes, yes he does. Now I'm late," Leonard said, grabbing his shoes and starting to lace them. Joanna climbed over the back of the couch towards him.

 

"But listen-"

 

"Not now, Joanna-"

 

"Just listen! 'I might be in the sciences, but I've been a huge fan of philosophy for as long as I could read. I can quote just about all of them, though listening to your call on the radio, it made me think of Thales. _Hope is the only good that is common to all men-'_ "

 

"'- _those who possess nothing possess hope still,'_ " Leonard finished the quote, glancing at the plaque above the fireplace that held that phrase. He shook himself.

 

"See! It's a sign!" Joanna said. Leonard put his hand on her head.

 

"Let me show you something..." he said, pulling her over to her Geography map and pointing at Atlanta. "This is where we are. Now point at where Iowa is..."

 

Joanna sullenly pointed further north. Leonard nodded and then patted her head again.

 

"Exactly. I'd have to drive through Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois and half of Iowa to get to see this Jim or whoever they are. So if you want a sign, find one of these people who live a little nearer than a twelve hour drive away," he said, dropping a kiss onto her head.

 

"But Jim doesn't want to meet us in Davenport, he wants to meet us in New York City on Valentine's Day! On top of the Empire State Building!" Joanna protested, pointing to New York on the map. Leonard ran a hand through his hair tiredly.

 

"Great. We'll be there. Don't wait up."

 

**Mid-January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

Leonard couldn't quite place Chapel. She was attractive, sure. In fact, she was god darn beautiful. And she clearly knew what she wanted too. She wasn't there to mess him about, her honesty was refreshing. And yet... and yet...

 

"I thought you were never going to ask me out," Christine said after a moment. She sipped her wine. "I wanted to ask you, but you never really seemed interested."

 

Leonard rubbed the back of his neck. "You should have. I really-"

 

"Oh no. I didn't want to be the one to ask you out... Not after your wife. There's no future if you are the first woman a guy goes out with after his divorce," she said, smiling. Leonard looked down at his plate and adjusted his cutlery.

 

"You're the first person I've gone out with," he admitted. Christine seemed impressed be his honesty.

 

"Not every day you meet someone quite so honest," she said, shrugging a little. "It's refreshing."

 

"Rude more like," he replied. Christine laughed.

 

"Oh? Like I didn't alread-"

 

"Sir, there is a young girl on the phone for you," the maître d' interrupted them. Leonard got to his feet and rushed to the phone.

 

"Joanna? Is something wrong?" he asked, imagining all the horrible things that could have happened.

 

"Dad, I want to know if you were telling the truth about the Empire State Building," Joanna said. Leonard rolled his eyes and put his head in his hand.

 

"Joanna, did you really interrupt my date with a _very_ lovely woman for this?" he asked. Joanna made a noise on the other end of the line which was perhaps a harrumph.

 

"But _Jim_ sounds _nice_ Dad! I want you to meet him!" she protested. Leonard glanced at the clock. Yeah, it was definitely after Joanna's bedtime.

 

"Right, okay. Well, unless your arms, legs or other significant parts of your body fall off, or your babysitter gets kidnapped by Colombian drugs barons, I don't want to hear from you again tonight. Do you understand me, sweetheart?" he asked. Joanna made an annoyed sound.

 

"But Dad-"

 

"Love you Jo-bear. Goodnight."

 

He hung up and returned to the table.

 

"Sorry, it was Joanna," he said. Christine looked appropriately worried.

 

"Oh she's fine. Just pre-teen girl stuff. Don't really know how to deal with it to be honest," he said. Christine sipped her wine.

 

"I find boarding school helps," she said, completely deadpan, and Leonard couldn't tell if she was joking.

 

**Late January of 1994 - Davenport, Iowa**

"Tell me he lives with his mother. And all her cats. And he collects dolls," Jim said, holding up his hands as he walked through the market with Hendorff. The large man barked out a laugh.

 

"He's got a lovely townhouse in the suburbs that he lives in just with his daughter," he replied, sounding not-at-all apologetic. Jim groaned.

 

"I hate the suburbs," he said. Hendorff rolled his eyes.

 

"Yeah well it sounds damn picturesque," he said. Jim couldn't help it, he pouted as Hendorff continued. "He's a neuro-surgeon. Used to do all the high-profile surgeries and was a damn force to be reckoned with in his field. He's scaled back the research now though and mostly does routine surgeries, since his wife left. He works at a smaller hospital, but as you can imagine from a brain surgeon, he makes good money."

 

Hendorff pulled out a photograph of Leonard McCoy outside the house collecting his mail. His hair stuck every which way, his jeans and t-shirt clearly just thrown on. Jim imagined that must be what he looked like in the mornings, when he'd just climbed out of bed and gone to check the mailbox. He took in the sharpened features of the other's face, the strong jaw, full lips, slight scowl.

 

"Do not start drooling on my lap," Hendorff growled and Jim took the pictures from him. He flicked through to the next set.

 

A restaurant. He couldn't see who Leonard was with, though it didn't really matter did it. It had candles. The man was clearly on a date.

 

"Oh..." he said. Hendorff grinned.

 

"Well, there's your dirt, Jim Kirk. Always a pleasure to do business with you."

 

**Late January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"We could go see baseball," Joanna suggested, grabbing hold of her father's hand as they strolled through the market. Leonard looked down at her.

 

"You don't like baseball. What team would we be seeing?" he asked. Joanna thought about it for a long time.

 

"It'd be the Knicks, alright?" he answered for her. Joanna beamed.

 

"And after we've seen the Knicks, we can go and see the Empire State Building-"

 

"Look, there she is. Say hi to her Joanna," Leonard said, seeing Chapel walking towards them with two big bags of groceries. Joanna looked over at her and Leonard saw the shutters go down. Well, whatever, Joanna would get used to the idea. He took the grocery bags off Chapel.

 

"Hey Len. Oh and hi Joanna. Sorry for all the groceries, I didn't know what you'd have in," Christine said, swooping in to kiss Leonard's cheek. Joanna poked the bottom of one of the bags.

 

"What are the groceries for?" she asked. Christine smiled at her.

 

"I'm going to cook dinner for you and your father," she said. Joanna pouted.

 

"But it's pizza night," she protested. "Saturday night is always pizza night!"

 

"Not tonight it isn't," Leonard said, gesturing for Joanna to get a move on and start walking toward the car. Joanna stomped forward and Leonard gave Christine a small smile.

 

"Well, that's Joanna," he said. Christine's smile was fairly fixed.

 

"Charmed."

 


	4. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You'd probably have to travel somewhere to do the piece," she said, her face still completely blank. Jim licked his lips.
> 
> "I was thinking Atlanta," he said nonchalantly. Uhura's face didn't even twitch.

**Late January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

Dinner was awkward and Leonard couldn't say he _enjoyed_ it. It wasn't Christine's fault though. Joanna was equally as bad about it all. She sulked and kicked at the table and refused to eat any of the vegetables, even though she usually would.

 

Leonard rubbed at the back of his neck tiredly as he started to clear away the dishes.

 

"It's late. Joanna, perhaps you should go to bed?" Christine suggested as she picked up a set of plates. Leonard looked up and saw Joanna was looking at him thunderously. He grabbed some more plates and put them in the sink.

 

"That's a great idea. Jo-Jo, say thanks to Christine for dinner," he prompted. Joanna grimaced and looked away.

 

"Thanks for dinner. And an early bed time. I don't know how I'd have kept myself awake," she said and then stomped up the stairs. Leonard sighed and began to run the water to wash the dishes.

 

"She's certainly spirited," Christine said. Leonard shrugged.

 

"She's a good girl," he replied. Christine nodded and began to dry the dishes.

 

**Late January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

Joanna crept down the stairs and looked out of the window. Her father was stood outside the door, his back to Joanna. Christine was stood there, looking her usual perfect self. As Joanna watched her father's hand reached out to brush against her hair.

 

Joanna gasped and scrambled back. No no no no no.

 

Her dad was _not_ going to get with Christine.

 

It wasn't that Christine was a bad person, it was just that she wasn't very warm towards Joanna. Kind of like she hadn't thought that her future would involve children at all. And Joanna didn't want to go from no mother to step-mother-who-hated-her. She'd read enough fairy tales to know how that ended up.

 

She grabbed the phone quickly and dialled the number for Network America.

 

**Late January of 1994 - Davenport, Iowa**

The phone was ringing. Jim groaned and reached out to grab at it without opening his eyes. Beside him, Janice made a noise of protest. He shushed her and grabbed it off the hook, holding it against his ear.

 

"Yo, what's up?" he asked, trying to blink sleep out of his eyes.

 

"Jim Kirk! It's Gaila. Turn on the radio," Gaila said. Jim frowned and sat up, yawning.

 

"What?" he asked. Gaila made a noise of frustration.

 

"Your Little Bones is on! Even I am listening to this garbage, Jim Kirk, so you better get your butt downstairs and listen!" Gaila hissed. Jim rubbed at his eyes as he swung his legs out of bed.

 

"Who is it?" Janice asked. Jim turned to her.

 

"Oh no one... Just Gaila... She's... you know how she is. I'll be back in a few minutes," he said, getting out of bed. He then put the receiver back up against his ear. "I'm going downstairs. I'll call you in a few."

 

He tried to walk sensibly down the stairs, but he couldn't help skipping the last few steps. He got into the kitchen and quickly turned on the radio, flicking it on as he grabbed the phone to dial Gaila back.

 

**_"This is a complete disaster! I wanted him to find someone to fall in love with but he got the wrong one-"_ **

****

"Gaila, how am I going to explain this if Janice comes down?" Jim asked down the phone, shutting the kitchen door and leaning back against it.

 

**_"He's kissing Chris! ON THE MOUTH!"_ **

****

"Who's he kissing on the mouth?!" Jim asked, down the phone. Gaila chuckled.

 

"Some woman he went on a date with. The kid's been going on about how annoying she is for about five minutes," Gaila said, sounding amused by the situation.

 

 ** _"Now, Joanna, shouldn't your father decide what's right or wrong?"_** The radio shrink was suggesting. Jim frowned, feeling an irrational surge of jealousy.

 

**_"Please please please don't... Oh god. There's spit. I feel sick. He's not sane enough to judge anything. Chris's a ho! I hate Chris!"_ **

****

Jim bit his lip as he tried not to will on Joanna to do something. It seemed he didn't have to though, because Gaila was doing it for him with a gleeful laugh.

 

**_"I have to stop this!"_ **

 

**_"Joanna, I really don't think you should butt in-"_ **

****

Whether she should or not, it didn't matter because at that moment the line went dead and Marcia couldn't get Joanna back. Jim stared at the radio and then slowly turned it off.

 

"What does it mean, Gaila?" he asked. Gaila's voice was wistful from the other end of the line.

 

"Perhaps you should go help...?" she suggested. Jim rolled his eyes and then sighed.

 

"I'll talk to you about it tomorrow. Night Gaila," he said. Gaila wished him sweet dreams and hung up.

 

**Late January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"Joanna don't you ever scare me like that again!" Leonard scolded. Joanna didn't even look remotely sorry about it. Her face was petulant and she didn't seem to care that she'd frightened the living day lights out of them both.

 

"I saw an intruder," Joanna said firmly and Leonard rolled his eyes.

 

"Right. With me outside the front door. Just how were they getting in anyway?" he asked. Joanna shrugged.

 

"I didn't know you were just outside, did I? For all I knew you'd driven Christine home," she pointed out. Leonard couldn't really argue with that and he shrugged.

 

"Let's get you back to bed."

 

**Late January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

 

Joanna checked her father was still in bed then quickly went downstairs to the typewriter. She hit the keys as quietly as she could, nabbed a stamp and envelope and then hid the letter in her school bag so she could mail it the next day.

 

**Late January of 1994 - Davenport, Atlanta**

"You know... I was thinking..." Jim said, leaning against the door to Uhura's office. Gaila was leaning against her desk and they were obviously discussing something. The way conversation paused when he came to the door let him know it was probably to do with him.

 

"I was thinking I should probably do some techno piece on, er, you know... the power of radio shows as a medium of connecting people..." Jim said, trying to keep his voice casual. Gaila laughed but Uhura kept a completely straight face.

 

"You'd probably have to travel somewhere to do the piece," she said, her face still completely blank. Jim licked his lips.

 

"I was thinking Atlanta," he said nonchalantly. Uhura's face didn't even twitch.

 

"I'm sure a flight can be arranged."

 

**Late January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"Joanna! Get in the car!" Leonard yelled. He was sat in the driver's seat waiting for her to get down. She ran out the front of the house and checked the mail box. She'd taken to doing that every morning. He looked down to adjust the radio and when he looked up again she was opening the door to the back of the car.

 

"Did you call the radio station again?" he asked, once she'd got her seat belt on. Joanna shifted in the back.

 

"No," she lied. Leonard groaned and pulled out of their driveway.

 

"Right. So all the people at the hospital who heard it had a mass hallucination brought on by some terribly infectious disease? I better call the CDC," he said sarcastically. Joanna folded her arms.

 

"I just called for a second," she protested. Leonard sighed.

 

"You called Christine a 'ho'. You don't even know what a 'ho' is," Leonard pointed out. Joanna kicked the seat in front of her.

 

"It's a woman who sleeps around," she said. Leonard was going to have serious words with the babysitter.

 

"You're lucky Christine doesn't know. It could hurt her feelings," he pointed out. Joanna suddenly smiled.

 

"If she knew, she'd be angry, right? And she'd never forgive me and she'd never go out with you again!" she said. Leonard groaned and put the radio on, choosing a music station and turning it up loud.

 

"Don't you dare ring that station again, you hear me?"

 

**Late January of 1994 - Davenport, Iowa**

"I don't understand why you have to go to Chicago for a piece on technology," Janice said, smiling slightly. "I mean, I know that since you got your new job you've been getting better pieces but I miss the times I used to be your secretary."

 

Jim grimaced but didn't say that he was glad that she hadn't been the one to book his flights. At least this way she honestly would think he was in a completely different city to the one he was truly going to be in.

 

"I won't be gone too long," he said instead. Janice shook her head.

 

"I'll be in Boston for that conference when you get back," she said, sounding pouty. Jim kissed her cheek.

 

"And then I'll meet you in New York for Valentines. We're going to be fine," he said, pulling her into a tight hug.

 

She really was too good for him. Too dependable. Too steady. Too reliable. He couldn't believe he was doing this to her.

 

But Jim knew one thing: Jim Kirk was a bastard.

 

"Alright, alright. I'll see you in New York."

 

**Late January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"Joanna, say bye bye to Christine," Leonard prompted, pushing Joanna's shoulder a little. Joanna pulled a face.

 

"Did you know that there's a 1 in 29.4 million chance of dying in a plane crash?" Joanna asked. Leonard dug his fingers into her shoulder a little tighter and Joanna winced. "But you know, good luck and everything."

 

Christine looked like she didn't quite know what to say.

 

"She's nine," Leonard said by way of explanation. "I hear girls develop a bitch gene when they're nine and she's really an early bloomer."

 

Christine smiled and relaxed a little. "Maybe when I get back, we can have some time where it's just the two of us?" she suggested. Leonard smiled and nodded.

 

"Yeah, sounds good to me," he said. Christine kissed his cheek and waved goodbye to Joanna before she turned to board the flight. Joanna climbed on the railings to watch her go.

 

"Look, Jo-bear," Leonard said, leaning down so he was at Joanna's level. "I'm not asking you to love Christine or anything like that. I'm just... I'm just asking you to give her a chance. I'm only dating her, not marrying her, not moving in with her, just dating her. Trying her on for size as it were."

 

Joanna jumped off the rail and folded her arms. "Did you have to try Mom on for size?" she asked. Leonard thought about that for a moment.

 

"Look, me and your Mom was different okay? And besides, that didn't exactly end perfectly did it? I'm never going to meet someone the same as your Mom. I'm not going to see someone across a crowded room again and just think that they're perfect, okay darlin'?" he asked and then straightened. There were people passing through the gateway now, disembarking from another plane. He held out Joanna's coat so she could put it on.

 

And then he saw him.

 

Leonard had never felt instant attraction to another man before. Sure, he'd had a slow build before, the careful, casual dance around being friends before they fucked and it was over. But this hit him hard, like every atom of his body was vibrating harder than it ever had before. He felt like he was coming apart.

 

The man was tall and lithe. He had short blond hair, carefully styled and his eyes were such a bright blue they looked radioactive. He was wearing a carefully styled suit and he carried a briefcase.

 

He began to walk towards the exit and Leonard quickly shoved the coat on Joanna's shoulders. She was babbling on about something to do with reincarnation and that goddamn letter, but Leonard wasn't listening because he was trying to beat through the crowd to get to that man. Maybe he could just... casually pass on his number?

 

"-yours and Jim's hearts are like puzzle pieces and when they fit together you'll be one again!" Joanna said. Leonard glanced down at her.

 

"Who's Jim?" he asked. Joanna puffed her cheeks out.

 

"The man from Iowa!" she replied. Leonard looked back up, but he'd lost the beautiful man in the crowd. He sighed and took Joanna's hand.

 

"Oh right, yeah. The one with the silly name who likes Thales."

 

**Late January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

Jim stepped out of the car outside the townhouse and went up to the door. It seemed like no one was in. He walked back down the path and looked up and down the street. At that moment a car pulled up on the other side of the road.

 

He saw Leonard McCoy step out and for a moment his heart stopped. The man was exactly how he was in the pictures. His face set in a small scowl, his hair slightly neater now though, but swept to the side. His skin was lightly tanned, his muscles shifting under the light jacket he wore.

 

A little girl hopped out of the back. This had to be Joanna. She had thick black hair that was tied in pigtails down her back. Instead of heading towards the house though, they headed into the park opposite the house and Jim followed them without even thinking.

 

They walked for a while until Joanna seemed to get tired and stopped to watch the ducks on the lake instead. Bones pulled a packet of bread out of his pocket and together, father and daughter fed the ducks. After that, Joanna seemed to want to play and Jim watched them play hide and seek and tag for what felt like hours.

 

He turned away. He needed to find a hotel for the night. There was no way he could just walk up to McCoy and introduce himself.

 

Not today.

 

**Late January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"I watched him play with his daughter in the park," Jim said, leaning back on his bed and staring at the ceiling.

 

"Did you talk to him?" Gaila asked. Jim sighed.

 

"I couldn't. It didn't feel like the right time," he said. Gaila groaned.

 

"You should do it! You've gone all the way to Atlanta! You need to do this now Jim Kirk!" she said. Jim rubbed the heel of his palms into his eyes.

 

"Am I crazy?" he asked. Gaila thought about it for a moment.

 

"If it were anyone else, I'd say yes. But it isn't. It is you, Jim Kirk. So no, it's not crazy. It's just... science."

 

Jim smiled and hung up.

 

**Late January of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

Jim pulled up with his car a little further down the street. He needed time to walk and get his head around what he was going to say. He had decided to play it as honest as he could. Introduce himself. Just say he was Jim, Jim Kirk, and hey, could they get a coffee? Only he'd heard about Bones on the radio and he'd been curious...

 

He was less than fifteen feet away now. He guessed he should probably cross over the road.

 

At that moment Leonard stepped out the front of his house. Jim felt like he'd lost all control of himself. He watched Leonard step down the steps and then Joanna dart past him. A moment later a car pulled up in front of the house and a man got out.

 

He launched himself forward, grabbing Joanna and swinging her around, planting a kiss on Joanna's cheek before leaning forward to give Leonard a hug which he returned warmly.

 

Jim heard a car beep and stepped out of the road quickly. Leonard looked up and let go of the man he was hugging as his eyes met Jim's.

 

Slowly Leonard began to make his way down the path, his eyes never leaving Jim's and Jim felt like he couldn't move. His heart was racing, his whole body felt like it was on fire. Leonard stopped at the curb.

 

"Hello," he said.

 

Jim licked his lips and had to clear his throat to get it to work. "Hello," he said in response and all his suave, practiced lines escaped him.

 

At that moment another car beeped him and he stepped back out of the road. Without looking at Leonard again, he hightailed it back to his car, shut himself inside it and put his key in the ignition.

 

This was insane. He was going back to Davenport. He was _not_ going to get involved with Leonard McCoy.

 


	5. An Affair to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "In any case, Christine's nice," Leonard said, shrugging. Hikaru took a sip of his beer, assessing Leonard for a long moment.
> 
> "Uh huh. Would you follow her through an airport?" he asked.

**Early February of 1994 - Davenport, Iowa**

 

"You were standing in the middle of the street?" Uhura asked incredulously. She and Gaila had invited themselves around to hear first-hand what had happened on his trip down South. Jim nodded glumly and grabbed himself a beer, offering on to the other two. Uhura declined but Gaila happily accepted.

 

"You know when you have a dream, like being naked in front of the whole class at school? It was like that, but worse. So much worse," he said. Gaila looked upwards.

 

"I liked those dreams," she said. Uhura hit her leg good-naturedly.

 

"He saw you though, didn't he?" Uhura asked. Jim swigged his beer.

 

"He said hello," he said. Uhura leaned forward.

 

"And you said...?" she prompted. Jim shrugged and began to peel the label off his bottle.

 

"I said hello back," he said. Gaila looked thoughtful for a moment.

 

"Like that movie you showed me... What was it? 'An Affair to Remember'? The woman in it she says _all I could think of to say is hello_ ," Gaila said. Jim glared at her.

 

"Maybe it's a sign?" Uhura suggested but Jim slammed his bottle down on the table. Froth began to pour over the top.

 

"It's not a sign of anything except me losing my mind and watching too many old movies!" he said. "Look at me! I'm lying to my fiancée, who loves me, about this shit. This isn't normal, it isn't right and I'm a bad person. This is going to stop."

 

Uhura didn't look convinced and Gaila had probably never been convinced to begin with. Jim got a cloth to wipe up his beer puddle.

 

"You don't know who that guy was," Uhura said carefully. "I mean, I know you're assuming it was someone he was seeing? You think that was 'Chris'?"

 

"I don't care. I know he's seeing someone and I still went and I'm meant to be seeing someone too!" he said, grabbing the dishcloth and wiping down the side. He threw it back at the sink and sat down, grabbing the mail that had been delivered while he'd been in Atlanta. He put aside the bills until he got to one that had a printed envelope that looked different.

 

"It's from Atlanta..." he said then looked sharply at Gaila.

 

"I mailed your letter," Gaila said simply. Jim tore open the envelope and opened it out, smoothing it over.

 

"Dear Jim, thanks for your letter. It was neat. We're very excited about meeting you on the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day and seeing if we are M.F.E.O. Love Bones," Jim read aloud.

 

"M.F.E.O?" Uhura questioned. Jim shrugged but Gaila giggled.

 

"Made for each other," she translated. Jim put the letter down as though it burned his hand.

 

"Oh god, I'm going to see Janice in a week and how am I going to explain all this to her?" Jim asked, putting his head in his hands. Uhura reached out to pat his arm reassuringly.

 

"You going to go?" Gaila asked. Jim scrunched up the letter with his free hand.

 

"Of course I'm fucking not. This letter was before... before everything. There's no way. Not one chance in hell. I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not."

 

**Early February of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"You saw her at the airport and then here again the next day?" Hikaru asked, tilting his head to the side.

 

"I tried to talk to him. It was like I'd seen him before somewhere but I couldn't say where. It was weird," Leonard said, picking up a pot sticker with his fingers and popping it into his mouth. Hikaru sat back in his seat, his expression thoughtful.

 

"Well, at least you're back in the game again," he said. Leonard sighed.

 

"Only really seeing one person though. And Joanna hates her," Leonard said. Hikaru took a gulp of his beer.

 

"Really? Why?" he asked. Leonard pushed his food around his plate.

 

"I guess she's not really a mother kind of woman," he said. "If Joanna were a bit older, perhaps? But yeah, I don't get the family vibe from her... Did you hear what Joanna did on Christmas Eve?"

 

Hikaru shook his head and Leonard laughed.

 

"You might be the only person in the States who hasn't. She called one of those radio shows. Asked them to find me someone new. I've never come out to my mother, but I'm pretty sure she knows now that I swing both sides of the fence," Leonard said grimly. Hikaru laughed, as though he could imagine how awkward Leonard had felt after that phone call.

 

"It's funny though. She rang up that show to get me someone, but now she doesn't want me to see this one woman... She got this letter from this guy who wants to meet me on the top of the Empire State Building and she's become obsessed with him," Leonard said. He noticed that Hikaru seemed lost in thought. "What?"

 

"Oh it's just... 'An Affair to Remember' right? Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr," he said, shrugging. Leonard frowned, trying to remember if he'd seen it before. He drew a blank.

 

"They meet on the top of the Empire State Building... Well they don't because she gets run over by a taxi and ends up in a wheelchair but anyway, that's not important. What's important is that some guy wants to do that with _you_ ," Hikaru pointed out, grinning.

 

"Yeah, some freak who is probably going to collect my toenail clippings and build a shrine," Leonard replied. Hikaru laughed.

 

"In any case, Christine's nice," Leonard said, shrugging. Hikaru took a sip of his beer, assessing Leonard for a long moment.

 

"Uh huh. Would you follow her through an airport?" he asked.

 

Leonard didn't reply.

 

**Day Before Valentine's Day of 1994 - Davenport, Iowa**

"You're going to be late," Uhura pointed out. Jim grabbed his jacket, shrugging it onto his shoulders.

 

"I won't be," he said, grabbing his wallet from his desk and putting it in his pocket. "And if I am, it'll be intentional to be the bad boy that I am."

 

"Yeah whatever, Kirk. What are your grand plans with Janice when you get there?" she asked, handing him his tickets as he scrambled to find them on his less than pristine desk.

 

"We're staying at the Plaza. Gonna go to this bar place where I'm allergic to everything on the menu but she's got her heart set on it so I'll just pop some antihistamines and suck it up. Oh and we're going to the theatre as well," he said, taking the tickets and putting them in his pocket. He patted his pockets once more to check he had picked up his car keys.

 

"Broadway?" Uhura asked. Jim grimaced.

 

"I hate it but whatever keeps Miss Rand happy," he said, starting to walk towards the elevator. Uhura followed him, a cardboard takeout tea cup in her hand as she followed.

 

"Sounds like you're going to have a blast. So sensible," Uhura said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Jim hit the button for 'down'.

 

"I am going to have a blast. I'm going to go to a bar I hate and sit through a show I abhor and put up with it because that's what happens in real life and real life is not a movie," he said, pointing at her. "And because Janice is a good woman and I could do a hundred times worse than her. Bones is long gone. Not even thinking about him anymore."

 

Uhura raised an eyebrow. "Who said anything about Bones?"

 

Jim stepped into the elevator and hit the 'close door' button so he didn't have to answer.

 

**Day Before Valentine's Day of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"Jed, book me in," Joanna said, holding up her father's credit card. Jed rolled his eyes but continued to book the flight. Joanna beamed at him, watching as her flight pass printed out. She was going to New York and she was going to meet Jim and bring him back to Atlanta. Then her dad would _have_ to talk to him.

 

**Day Before Valentine's Day of 1994 - Tiffany's, New York City**

"I guess we should buy some furniture and give the cat a name," Janice said as she pushed the door open. Jim blinked for a few moments, taking in the counters and marble floor of Tiffany's.

 

"Hm?" he said, turning to her. Janice let out a laugh.

 

"Breakfast at Tiffany's! You know, Audrey Hepburn?" she said. Jim smiled and nodded to show he'd understood. Yes, Breakfast at Tiffany's. Of course. That was the movie she'd been quoting. It just wasn't the one that was on his mind at the moment.

 

"You got that feeling?" he asked, putting an arm around her waist. Janice laughed and patted his cheek.

 

"Maybe we can get something engraved? You got a crackerjack ring?" she asked. Jim patted his pockets.

 

"All out of those I'm afraid," he said, smiling. Janice pulled away slightly to look at one of the cases.

 

"Damn. Guess I'll have to settle for an actual ring," she said. Jim looked over her shoulder at the diamonds in the case. He could see her looking at him in the reflection. "You know... You've seemed... different since Christmas. I can't quite place it but... I feel like perhaps you've come back now."

 

Jim turned to her and felt his mouth go dry. "I... I just got a bit nervous about the whole wedding thing that's all."

 

"Oh?" Janice frowned slightly, her long fingernail tapping against the glass. "How so?"

 

"Oh nothing big just... Forever, you know. That's a long time. I'm not... I'm not really someone who thinks about forevers," he said. Janice tilted her head to the side.

 

"Don't you want forever?" she asked.

 

"Oh no, I do," Jim replied, but his heart felt heavy. _Just not with you I guess._

 

"Then what was there to be nervous about? Silly!" she pushed his shoulder lightly. Together they wandered around the department store, picking out place settings and things that Jim hadn't even been sure they need for the wedding registry.

 

There was only one thing left to do. He pulled her to one side, pulling out the box. He didn't get down on one knee. He let her unwrap it and open it herself. Her eyes lit up, her face looked overjoyed and she jammed the ring onto her finger.

 

"I couldn't have picked a better ring myself!" she said and threw her arms around him. Jim felt bad, because he'd let the woman behind the counter pick for him.

 

**Night Before Valentine's Day of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"You seen my wallet sweetheart?" Leonard asked. Joanna was stood in the doorway with her arms folded.

 

"I think it's in the dishwasher," she said. Leonard straightened, giving her a look as if to say 'well how did it get there' before continuing to pack his shirt. He was going away to a sleazy motel for the weekend and he was going to get _laid_ and his darling, beautiful and highly precocious child wasn't going to stop him.

 

"I'm going to be away for one night, okay? And the babysitter will look after you. I'm sure you'll have a great time watching horror movies I'd never let you watch and eating pizza," he said, grabbing some underpants and rolling them up to take up less room in the case. Joanna's expression grew more thunderous.

 

"You're going with _her_ ," Joanna said. Leonard sighed and held up two shirts, one green, one blue, trying to decide between them which one to wear.

 

"Yep," he replied. Joanna stomped out of the room and then slammed the door to her bedroom. Leonard put the shirts down and walked down the hallway, opening the door again.

 

"Jo-bear, I have to have a life. And sweetheart, I haven't been out with a woman in a long time. There are things adults have to do and this is my first opportunity to do it in a long, long, _long_ time," he said, thinking about how long it really _had_ been since he'd got any. Joanna was wrapped up in her duvet, although her hand appeared from underneath it with a crumpled letter.

 

"This is the one I like!" she protested. Leonard rolled his eyes.

 

"I don't want to hear it Joanna. You're not going to like anyone because they're not your mom," he said, turning and walking back to his bedroom. He'd decided on the green one.

 

"Fine! Fine! Marry the Evil Stepmother! Don't come crying to me when she treats me like Cinderella!" Joanna yelled at his retreating back. Leonard sighed.

 

"I wasn't asking for your permission to marry her, darlin'," he replied, packing the green shirt and bending down to find some jeans to go with it.

 

"What's wrong with Jim?!" Joanna yelled as she stomped back into the room. Leonard glanced at her as he pulled out two different pairs of jeans and tried to remember which ones were the ones that made him have a 'cute butt' and which were the ones that made him look like a builder.

 

"Joanna, please, sweetheart, just shut up," he said, deciding it must be the ones nearer the top and throwing them at the suitcase. Joanna seemed to swell up with indignation like a bullfrog.

 

"Shut up?! SHUT UP?! WHY SHOULD I SHUT UP! YOU SAID WE WERE GOING TO NEW YORK YOU PROMISED!" Joanna yelled. Leonard rolled his eyes and put his hand on her head, pushing her outside the room and shutting the door.

 

"I'm not discussing this anymore," he said through the door. "You don't have to like it Joanna, but you _are_ going to put up with it graciously in silence."

 

There was the sound of running feet and a door slamming.

 

"I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!" Joanna was screaming in her room. Leonard sank down onto the bed, staring at the suitcase.

 

Whose idea had it been to have children again?

 

**Valentine's Day of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"Joanna, I'm leaving," Leonard called up the stairs. The babysitter was blowing bubbles with her gum. There was silence from upstairs. Leonard sighed.

 

"One minute," he said, running up the stairs two at a time. He opened the door to Joanna's bedroom.

 

"Jo-bean aren't you going to say-" he paused. Joanna's bed was made, something that in and of itself was a miracle. She wasn't in her room.

 

"Jo?" he called turned back into the hallway, opening the doors to every room. Not the bathroom, not his bedroom, not the airing cupboard.

 

"Joanna?!" he yelled and ran back downstairs. The babysitter was looking mildly alarmed, in her stoned way.

 

"Joanna?!"

 

**Valentine's Day of 1994 - Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Atlanta**

 

Joanna reclined the seat. Business class really was something else. The air hostess dropped off her juice box and offered her a blanket, which she took, and then she settled in for a nap.

 

She was going to meet Jim at the top of the Empire State Building. She didn't care what her father said.

 

**Valentine's Day of 1994 - Atlanta, Georgia**

"What?" Leonard said. He was on the phone to Jed's parents, who apparently had discovered something from their son only minutes before.

 

"New York? Your son booked my daughter a flight to New York. Great, when does it depart?" he asked. There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.

 

"Eight-thirty. Great. No- Wait! That was five minutes ago! Oh my god, I've gotta get to the airport-" Leonard didn't even bother to hang up the phone, grabbing his wallet and darting to the car.

 

He was wearing the blue shirt.

 

**Valentine's Day of 1994 - La Guardia Airport, New York City**

Joanna stepped out of the airport and looked around. She had to get to the Empire State Building, but she didn't really know where that was. So the first thing she needed was a cab. She pulled on the sleeve of one of the parking attendants there.

 

"I need a cab to go to the Empire State Building," she said. The man looked down at her and then shrugged.

 

"Sure thing," he said, flagging down a cab for her and putting her in it. The cab driver smiled at her.

 

"Want to see the sights on the way?" he asked. Joanna hugged her Lion King backpack to her stomach.

 

"No thanks. Just the Empire State Building."

 

"What are you going to do there?" the driver asked as he pulled out. Joanna smiled and watched as New York began to pass by the window.

 

"Me? I'm going to meet my new dad."

 

**Valentine's Day of 1994 - The Standard, New York City**

Janice took off her coat and sat down. Jim sat down across from her. He looked out of the window and felt something squirm deep in his stomach when he realised he could see the Empire State Building from where he was sat. He adjusted his chair a little, though his eyes kept moving back towards the view.

 

"Jim, is there something the matter?" Janice asked. Jim shook his head.

 

"I just... let's get a drink," he said, looking down the menu for the whiskey. Janice cleared her throat.

 

"Champagne perhaps?" she suggested. Jim dropped the menu.

 

"Yeah, yeah of course. Er... Dom Perignon?" he suggested. The waiter nodded and walked away. Janice reached over to take his hand, the ring glinting on her finger like a lie.

 

"Beautiful view from up here, isn't it?" she asked. Jim stared at the diamond that was glinting on her finger and pulled back his hand.

 

"Janice, I gotta tell you something..."

 

**Valentine's Day of 1994 - Kennedy Airport, New York City**

Leonard flew out of the terminal, flagging down a taxi and ignoring the people waiting. He just threw some dollar bills at the attendants, not even checking how much it was. Goddamnit Joanna, what the hell was she doing?

 

"Empire State Building!" he barked. The cab driver nodded and pulled away.

 

**Valentine's Day of 1994 - Empire State Building, New York City**

Joanna curled up on the ground by a pair of binoculars. It was cold all the way up here, and none of the men were Jim. She knew. She'd gone and asked them all. She pulled her knees up to her chest.

 

She wished that her and Jed had thought to book her a return ticket. She'd just assumed Jim would pay for her flight back when she found him.

 

She drew a quarter from her pocket and put it into the binoculars, using it look at the surrounding buildings. Across from her a blond man was talking animatedly to a pretty blond lady who looked like she wanted to throw a glass of champagne in his face until she calmed down. The man pointed at his chest and then to the air and then rubbed his temples. The woman opposite him just stared at him, though her face became more and more understanding as she did.

 

"Well, bud, I guess you've messed up big there..."

 

"Joanna!"

 

Joanna hopped off the binoculars in time to see her father run towards her. She abandoned her things to run into his arms. He was much warmer than she was and he bundled her up in his arms, holding her so tight she couldn't breathe.

 

"You stupid... Oh darlin' I was so scared. You're all I have, Joanna, all I have," he whispered fiercely into her hair. "Don't do that again. Please god... I'm not a bad father, am I? Tell me I haven't messed this up for you, sweetheart. Tell me we're doing good."

 

Joanna squeezed him tighter. "We're doing good Dad," she said. Her father straightened, taking her hand and leading her towards the edge.

 

"I can't believe you took business class. Do you understand how ridiculously expensive that is?" he asked. Joanna shrugged.

 

"It was the only tickets they had left," she replied. Leonard considered it.

 

"Wanna spit off the top?"

 

"Ew Dad.... but... yeah ok."

 

**Valentine's Day of 1994 - The Standard, New York City**

"It's insane. It's not even me. I'm not.... I'm not this person," Jim said, waving his hands. Janice was playing with the stem of her champagne flute.

 

"So what happened?" she asked. Jim frowned.

 

"Huh?"

 

"At the top of the Empire State Building? What happened?" she asked. Jim glanced at the building.

 

"I didn't go," he said. Janice finally looked up at him.

 

"James, I love you, but right now that doesn't matter. I'm not going to be someone that you settle for. I'm a perfectly attractive and intelligent woman, and there are men who are going to see me as the most amazing thing to ever happen to them. I think that getting married, when you don't see that... Well, that's selling me short isn't it?" she asked. She took off the ring, putting it in the champagne flute and pushing it back towards Jim.

 

Jim stared at it for a moment before his attention was taken back to the Empire State Building. The lights changed, warping to the traditional heart for Valentine's Day. It was a sign.

 

"I have to go," he said, getting to his feet.

 

"You really do. Go and... tell this Sleepless Doctor from Atlanta that you're insane, and stupid and the most wonderful man in existence. That he'd be a fool not to marry you," Janice said, getting to her feet as well.

 

"I don't deserve someone like you," Jim said. Janice laughed, though she sounded sad.

 

"No you don't. I'm just going to hope that this guy, whoever he is, has something really wrong with him. Like feet so smelly they make you wretch whenever he takes off his socks," she said. Jim leaned forward on the spur of the moment and kissed her cheek. He got half way across the restaurant before he ducked back, plucking the ring out of the champagne.

 

"I'm not wealthy enough to leave that here," he said, smiling at her. Janice's laughter followed him all the way to the elevator.

**Valentine's Day of 1994 - Empire State Building, New York City**

Jim ran. He had never run so fast in his life. He was breathless by the time he got to the foyer. He skidded to a stop on the glossed tiles, grabbing onto the desk in front of the security man.

 

"I know it's late, I know you're meant to be closing but I promised someone I'd meet them at the top of this building and I gotta know if they're there. I just... If I don't go up I'll never know and I'll always wonder. Please," he said. The security guard smiled and rested his chin on his fist.

 

"Cary Grant, right?" he asked. Jim nodded. The man rolled his eyes.

 

"Go on! Quickly!"

 

Jim didn't need telling twice. He darted to the lift and stepped in beside the guard. He could see other lifts, all heading down. But maybe, just maybe Bones was up there. Just maybe in this whole stupid ordeal, it would happen.

 

He waited impatiently as the lift went up. His ears popped. He darted out of the lift at the first stop and across to the second one. When he finally got to the Observation Deck, he stepped out into the crisp night air with his heart hammering.

 

There was no one there. He let out a deep breath, disappointment filling his chest. He pulled his coat tighter around him and stepped to the side of the building, putting his hand on the binoculars.

 

Even if Bones had come, Jim had come too late to catch him. This was all wrong... He blinked when he saw a children's backpack down by the binoculars.

 

He picked it up, guessing he could take it to the lost property on his way out. The tag on the top caught his eye though.

 

'Property of Joanna McCoy'.

 

He unzipped it. Inside was a stuffed Simba and a few other assorted bits and bobs that a young girl might carry around with her. He looked at the Simba. He'd been here. Bones had... Bones had stood at this spot, with Joanna, and waited for him!

 

"I left it near the..."

 

Jim looked up. Joanna had walked around the corner and drawn up short when she'd seen him. He smiled and held up Simba.

 

Bones rounded the corner at that moment and then stopped dead in his tracks. Jim swallowed nervously, but Bones didn't move. He let go of Joanna's hand.

 

"It's you," he said. Jim tried to pull himself together enough to answer.

 

"It's me?" he asked. Leonard's mouth worked for a moment before he scratched his temple in a way that said he was embarrassed.

 

"The one in the street... I tried to chase after you," he said, looking away briefly before looking back. As though he couldn't tear his eyes away. Jim's heart thumped hard in his chest.

 

"Are you Jim?" Joanna asked suddenly. Jim looked down at her and then grinned.

 

"You betcha. Jim Kirk," he said, offering her his hand. "And I'm guessing that Simba belongs to you, right?"

 

She took his hand and Simba from him, before looking up at her father. Jim glanced back at Leonard to see that the man hadn't taken his eyes off him.

 

"I'm Joanna. That's my dad. His name is Leonard," Joanna made the introductions. Jim felt his smile stretch wider.

 

"Hi Bones. Hi Joanna," he said, waving his hand at them somewhat awkwardly. There was a moment of silence where he just stared at Leonard who looked back at him, then the elevator operator cleared his throat.

 

"Oh, we're not meant to be up here anymore," Jim said, looking over Leonard's shoulder at the lifts. Leonard looked over his shoulder then back at Jim.

 

Jim hesitantly reached his hand forward. "Shall we?" he asked. Leonard seemed unsure but then he took Jim's hand in his own. Jim felt it, instantly, the warm sensation spreading up his arm and through his body. The _rightness_.

 

"Science," he muttered. Leonard stared at him but then began to walk towards the elevator, his hand still wrapped around Jim's own. He got into the elevator, noticing Joanna was still watching them.

 

He leaned into Leonard, speaking as low as he could so that the little girl wouldn't hear. "Better buckle up, Bones. Cuz if you thought this Empire State Building business was crazy, you're in for some real treats later on."

 

Leonard frowned at him, but his mouth twitched up into a smirk. Joanna beamed at them both.

 

_Rule number three, Jelly bean. Whenever Uncle Jim uses Valentine's Day as an excuse for crazy ideas working out, remind him that you're still paying off your business class travel from last time. And no, we're not getting a beagle. Or a hamster. Or a little bro- wait what?_

 


End file.
